THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


^^^54-  '^m-^:^:^:: 


m 


^M. 


SAM  WILLIAMS: 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH. 


BY 


W.  S.   HARRISON. 


Nashville,  Tenn.: 

Publishing  House  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South. 

Barbee  &  Smith,  Agents. 

1892. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1892, 

By  the  Book  Agents  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 

The  existence  of  slavery  in  the  South  for  more  than  two 
hundred  years,  and  in  the  Southwest  from  the  earliest  settle- 
ment of  the  country,  developed  a  unique  condition  of  society. 
There  were  three  distinct  classes:  the  slave  owners,  the  labor- 
ing white  people,  and  the  slaves.  The  line  was  sharply  drawn 
between  the  slave-holding  and  nonslave-holding  classes.  As  a 
rule,  they  lived  apart,  occupying  different  chai-acters  of  soil. 
One  class  rested  supinely  on  slave  labor;  the  other  toiled  inces- 
santly in  competition  with  that  labor.  Their  manners  and 
"  manner  of  speech  "  were  different.  The  slave-owning  class 
was  highly  educated,  and  spoke  the  purest  English ;  the  other 
was  less  cultvired,  and  used  idioms  which  at  once  evinced  the 
earnestness  and  independence,  the  mental  force  and  acumen 
of  these  toiling  millions. 

Then  there  were  the  slaves.  Grafting  the  half-acquired  Eng- 
lish on  the  peculiarities  of  their  native  tongues,  and  following 
the  natural  bent  of  their  vocal  organs,  they  had  in  the  genera- 
tions of  slavery  developed  a  dialect  peculiarly  their  own.  This 
dialect  is  all  the  more  interesting  because  it  is  passing  away. 
Just  as  the  old-time  darkey  is  soon  to  become  extinct,  so  his 
speech  will  shortly  be  heard  no  more.  And  this  is  true  of  all 
the  phases  of  society  which  existed  in  the  South  before  the  war. 
The  upheaval  has  been  so  complete  that  the  old  life  is  now  a 
memory,  and  will  soon  belong  to  tradition.  To  aid  in  rescuing 
this  life  from  oblivion  the  writer  hopes  is  not  the  chief  merit 
of  this  volume.  The  rendering  of  the  dialects,  both  of  the 
blacks  and  of  the  "  po'  white  trash,"  as  well  as  the  representa- 
tion of  the  manners  and  thoughts  of  the  generation  gone,  or 
rapidly  passing,  he  hopes  will  be  accorded  the  charm  of  useful- 
ness. As  a  Southerner  "  to  the  manner  born,"  and  having  lived 
among  the  characters  represented,  he  claims  the  right  to  speak. 
But  beyond  this  he  hopes  the  book,  on  account  of  its  contents, 
will  be  found  worthy  of  perusal.  W.  S,  H. 

Starkville,  Miss. 

602947 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://www.archive.org/details/samwilliamstaleoOOharr 


CONTENTS. 

Chapter  I.  Page 

The  First  Important  Event 7 

Chapter  II. 
The  Budding  Period i6 

Chapter  III. 
The  Home 21 

Chapter  IV. 
Our  Neighbors 28 

Chapter  V. 
In  the  Quarters 32 

Chapter  VI. 
In  the  Fields 37 

Chapter  VII. 
At  the  Meeting 44 

Chapter  VIII. 
In  the  Kitchen 52 

Chapter  IX. 
Care  of  the  Sick 60 

Chapter  X. 
The  Funeral 67 

Chapter  XI. 
Attending  Church 72 

Chapter  XII. 
On  a  Visit 80 

Chapter  XIII. 
In  Louisiana 89 

Chapter  XIV 
Going  to  School 96 

Chapter  XV. 
Prosperity 105 

Chapter  XVI. 
Still  at  School iii 


(5) 


6  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

Chapter  XVII.  Page 

Vacation 120 

Chapter  XVIII. 
Mr.  "Wilson 129 

Chapter  XIX. 
Plum  Creek  Church 134 

Chapter  XX. 
Our  Vacation  Ends 143 

Chapter  XXI. 
Off  for  College 152 

Chapter  XXII. 
In  College 161 

Chapter  XXIII. 
War 169 

Chapter  XXIV. 
A  Soldier 179 

Chapter  XXV. 
Fighting 188 

Chapter  XXVI. 
The  Cave  of  Futurity 202 

Chapter  XXVII. 
The  Strange  Country 214 

Chapter  XXVIII. 
The  Strange  City 226 

Chapter  XXIX. 
Strange  Customs 239 

Chapter  XXX. 
Strange  Improvements 250 

Chapter  XXXI. 
Aspiring  to  Authorship 261 

Chapter  XXXII. 
The  Return 272 

Chapter  XXXIII. 
The  Consummation 285 

Chapter  XXXIV. 
Conclusion 298 


SAM   WILLIAMS: 

A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 
The  First  Important  Event. 

THE  first  if  not  the  most  important  event  in  ev- 
ery life  is  to  be  born.  Whether  or  not  that 
event  is  important  depends  on  what  follows.  I 
am  sure  that  in  many  cases  the  credit  side  of  the 
world's  balance  sheet,  representing  the  sum  of 
human  happiness,  would  have  been  larger  if  that 
part  of  the  life  had  been  entirely  omitted. 

The  wisdom  of  this  remark  finds  proof  in  the 
large  number  of  suicides,  in  the  wrecks  of  life, 
and  in  the  wrecking  wish  so  often  expressed,  and 
always  with  a  deep  sigh:  "O  that  I  had  never 
been  born  !  "  You  see  I  am  only  rising  to  confirm 
the  opinion  of  those  most  immediately  interested. 
But  what  per  cent,  of  human  lives  stands  respect- 
ively on  the  debit  and  credit  sides  of  the  world's 
ledger  I  am  not  prepared  to  say. 

But  whether  for  good  or  ill,  I  was  born.  I  can 
hardly  plead  the  verity  of  an  eyewitness,  but  I 
am  positively  certain  of  the  fact.     If  the  occasion 

(7) 


8  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

made  any  impression  whatever  on  memory's  tab- 
let, the  vital  forces  have  so  far  failed  to  bring  it  to 
the  recognition  of  consciousness.  The  evidence 
to  my  own  mind  was  a  thing  of  growth.  As  the 
years  passed  by  it  dawned  upon  me  as  the  shadow 
of  a  great  reality.  But  the  first  clear  statement  of 
fact  was  made  to  me  by  mammy. 

The  reader,  whether  gentle  or  otherwise,  will 
bear  in  mind  that  I  do  not  now  refer  to  my  mother. 
Mother  was  white;  mammy  was  black.  Mother 
taught  me  propriety  and  good  manners;  mammy 
laughed  at  my  whims  and  inflated  my  vanity. 
Mother  insisted  that  my  face  and  hands  should  be 
washed,  at  least  occasionally;  mammy  permitted 
me  to  play  in  the  mud,  and  taught  me  how  to  make 
pots  and  pies  of  that  material.  Mother  had  me 
placed  at  the  table  in  a  tall  armchair,  with  bib  and 
napkin  properly  arranged,  and  fed  on  food  suited 
to  my  age  and  station;  mammy  took  me  to  the 
kitchen  and  allowed  me  to  fish  corn  dumplings  out 
of  the  pot  and  drink  pot  liquor  out  of  the  ladle. 
Mother  tried  to  make  me  respectable;  mammy 
made  me  happy.  Mother  wanted  me  to  be  wise ; 
mammy  thought  I  was  already  so.  I  had  great  re-, 
spect  for  mother,  and  great  love  for  mammy. 

In  that  early  period  of  my  life  mammy  was  to 
me  an  important  personage.  She  was  about  five 
feet  high  and  about  three  feet  through.  Her  broad, 
woolly  head  sat  far  back  on  a  splendid  bust,  and 
was  ready  to  carry  anything,  from  a  pail  of  water 
to  a  basket  of  vegetables.     Her  fat,  jolly  face  was 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  9 

the  very  home  of  good  humor,  and  wore  in  its  nat- 
ural attitude  the  breaking  movements  of  a  half- 
born  smile.  Her  little  black  eyes  constantly 
twinkled  with  good  nature. 

Mammy's  most  important  business  in  life  was  to 
look  after  "  ole  missus's  chillerns."  As  I  was  the 
last  of  the  tribe,  she  had  nearly  outlived  her  occu- 
pation, and  seemed  to  have  no  regrets  in  the  mat- 
ter. She  enjoyed  a  monopoly  of  the  business,  and 
as  the  perquisites  of  the  office  remained  the  same, 
she  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  the  decline  of 
the  work. 

Our  relation  was  one  of  mutual  influence,  each 
half  commanding  and  half  obeying.  It  is  so  de- 
lightful to  yield  to  a  power  that  will  always  bend 
at  least  halfway  to  our  own  wishes.  She  was  in 
the  lead,  but  was  oftener  led.  We  were  like  bi- 
nary stars  revolving  round  each  other.  She  was 
my  first  interpreter,  and  my  infant  mind  unfolded 
to  the  simple  ideas  so  delightfully  seasoned  with 
unfailing  good  nature  and  constant  appreciation. 

Besides  keeping  me  somewhat  in  the  bounds  of 
reason,  mammy  gathered  vegetables  for  the  kitch- 
en, and  assisted  Aunt  Daphne,  the  cook,  on  spe- 
cial occasions,  and  lent  a  helping  hand  about  the 
housekeeping. 

There  was  one  occasion  on  which  mammy  al- 
ways came  to  the  front  in  fine  feather.  That  was 
hog-killing  time.  Mammy  was  the  commanding 
genius  when  it  came  to  saving  the  lard.  Whole 
troops   of  women  were  at  hand  to  do  the  work, 


lO  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

but  mammy  did  the  commanding!  A  general 
hog-killing  called  for  the  suspension  of  all  other 
work.  All  hands  up  and  astir  long  before  day! 
How  the  fire  roared  in  the  frosty  air !  How  the 
darkies  moved!  It  was,  in  fact,  a  moving  time. 
A  hundred  and  fifty  hogs  at  a  killing  was  not  un- 
usual, and  the  work  was  fairly  under  way  by  day- 
light. The  man  with  the  ax,  from  long  experi- 
ence, was  expert.  He  of  the  knife  never  failed. 
How  the  men  handled  the  nimble  porkers ! 

Uncle  Mike  was  supreme  at  the  scalding  vat. 
With  two  or  three  assistants,  the  work  went  rapid- 
ly on.  As  soon  as  he  pronounced  it  "good,"  the 
hog  was  heaved  from  the  vat  out  on  the  long  plat- 
form of  rails,  and  then  a  half  dozen  black  hands 
snatched  the  loosened  hair.  The  porker  was  kept 
moving  down  the  "  run,"  to  make  way  for  others; 
and  by  the  time  he  reached  the  lower  end,  the  hair 
was  off,  and  he  was  ready  for  the  gambrel  stick. 
One  by  one  the  dressed  carcasses  were  suspended 
on  long  poles.  It  was  a  high  day  for  me.  How 
I  reveled  among  the  busy  throng !  What  blowing 
up  of  bladders !  For  days  I  sniffed  the  odor  of 
cooking  lard  and  fresh  meat,  till  for  once  I  had 
enough  of  the  kitchen. 

Another  important  duty  for  mammy  was  to  make 
up  the  family  soap  in  the  spring.  This  she  did 
admirably,  provided  she  could  get  the  moon  in 
proper  position ;  and  provided,  also,  she  could  pro- 
cure a  good  sassafras  stick  with  which  to  stir. 
There  was  another  considerable  trouble  with  which 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  II 

she  had  to  contend,  and  that  was  to  keep  the  ur- 
chins from  stirring  the  pot  the  wrong  way.  That 
was  stirring  it  back  to  lye. 

That  is  what  a  party  leader  in  Congress  does 
when  he  applies  the  party  lash  to  the  members  of 
the  House  for  having,  through  mistake,  voted  for 
some  good  measure  contrary  to  party  principles. 
The  little  negro  was  apt  to  catch  a  flogging  for 
such  backwardness,  but  the  Congressman  often 
owes  his  reelection  to  roundabout  practices.  But 
my  business  is  with  mammy,  and  not  with  the  Con- 
gressman. 

Whenever  she  could  manage  to  get  all  the  con- 
ditions in  line,  and  somehow  she  generally  suc- 
ceed in  that,  she  always  turned  out  a  good  supply 
of  soap. 

While  engaged  in  this  very  important  domestic 
industry  one  beautiful  spring  day,  and  while  hold- 
ing up  the  sassafras  stick  to  see  the  hot  fluid  drip 
off  in  order  to  judge  of  its  consistency,  it  was  in 
answer  to  a  childish  question  which  mammy 
thought  was  very  smart,  and  which,  in  her  estima- 
tion, indicated  future  greatness,  that  she  exclaimed : 
"Law,  yes,  hunny,  you  was  borned;  I  minds  it 
well.     Hit  was  jest  ten  years  arter  the  stars  fell." 

Mammy  was  in  the  habit  of  dating  events  from 
the  time  the  stars  fell.  The  intelligent  reader,  if 
any  such  should  ever  chance  to  read  these  pages, 
will  remember  that  the  great  shower  of  meteors 
occurred  in  1833,  and  this  will  give  sufficient  inti- 
mation as  to  the  time  1  first  saw  the  light. 


12  SAM  WILLIAMS: 

The  event  here  recorded,  viewed  latitudinally, 
is  of  very  httle  importance ;  but  longitudinally  it  is 
worthy  of  the  very  first  consideration.  The  latitu- 
dinal view  is  that  which  sends  out  rays  of  relation 
on  each  side,  and  has  reference  to  all  events  of 
simultaneous  history.  In  this  view,  the  birth  of 
a  child,  as  it  is  but  one  of  thousands  of  such  events 
taking  place  every  day,  is  rarely  of  sufficient  im- 
portance for  any  record  whatever. 

But  viewed  longitudinally — that  is,  running  along 
the  thread  of  my  own  life — it  is,  for  me  at  least,  of 
the  very  first  moment.  It  is  of  such  magnitude  that 
it  could  occur  but  once.  The  wise  saying  that  his- 
tory repeats  itself  probably  does  not  refer  to  biog- 
raphy.    It  evidently  does  not  apply  in  this  case. 

From  the  foregoing  remarks  it  will  be  seen  that 
human  life  is  comparable  to  a  journey  from  the 
equator  toward  the  pole,  from  the  flowery  tropic 
of  childhood  to  the  chilly  regions  of  old  age  and 
death.  "Jest  ten  years  arter  de  stars  fell"  I 
started  on  this  momentous  journey. 

I  was  the  youngest  of  the  children.  My  oldest 
brother,  having  married,  was  living  some  miles 
away.  My  oldest  sister  was  the  wife  of  a  planter, 
and  lived  in  another  state.  I  found  many  advan- 
tages in  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the  family.  I 
loved  to  be  petted,  and  much  of  this  fell  to  me  in 
consequence  of  my  position  in  the  household.  I 
loved  liberty.  Father  and  mother,  as  is  often  the 
case,  had,  as  age  advanced,  become  more  lenient 
both  to  children  and  servants.     In  consequence, 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  1 3 

many  privileges  came  to  me  that  would  have  been 
denied  to  an  older  son.  Whether  such  indulgence 
was  at  the  expense  of  the  bone  and  sinew  of  char- 
acter I  cannot  say.  It  was  certainly  very  pleas- 
ant, and,  so  far  as  I  know,  the  sweets  of  life  have 
come  about  as  readily  to  me  as  to  those  better  dis- 
ciplined. 

The  burden  of  this  chapter  is  worthy  of  some 
reflection.  I  sometimes  think  the  fact  here  re- 
corded is  the  most  surprising  part  of  the  history 
to  be  written.  Not  so  strange,  perhaps,  that  peo- 
ple should  be  born,  but  marvelously  so  that  I 
should  have  emerged  into  individual  conscious- 
ness and  separate  activity.  A  failure  in  any  sin- 
gle link  in  the  long  chain  of  events  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world,  and  may  be  for  endless  cy- 
cles before  that,  would  have  resulted  in  my  non- 
existence. Millions  of  people  might  have  been 
born,  but  not  I.  When  there  are  so  many  millions 
of  chances  against  the  occurrence  of  an  event,  and 
only  one  chance  out  of  all  the  millions  for  it  to 
happen,  is  it  not  strange,  wonderfully  strange, 
that  it  should  ever  come  to  pass?  I  am  therefore 
astonished  that  I  was  born. 

Our  earthly  existence  is  a  mystery.  "Of  the 
earth  earthy,  "  we  are  built  of  very  common  ma- 
terials, such  as  are  found  in  rocks,  in  water,  in 
plants,  in  mud,  and  dust.  Yet  we  are  none  of 
these.  Here  are  the  ethereal  elements  of  mind; 
the  strange  thinking  faculty,  the  capacity  of  link- 
ing thought  to  thought  and  fact  to  fact,  making  a 


14  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

chain  of  convictions  that  no  power  can  break. 
Then  here  is  the  light,  fantastic,  the  boundlessly 
soaring,  the  endlessly  combining  faculty  of  imagi- 
nation. Then  back  of  all  this  is  the  wonderful 
will  power  strangely  hedged  in  beyond  the  reach 
of  physical  force.  These  splendid  faculties  are 
constantly  fed  by  the  earth,  and  yet  are  immeas- 
urably superior  to  earth's  dull  activities. 

Nature  has  given  to  the  different  things  suitable 
length  of  tether.  The  plant  rooted  in  the  soil  is 
intensely  local  in  its  dependence.  The  animal  is 
more  at  large,  roaming  about  in  search  of  food, 
and  may  change  his  habitat  as  the  conditions  of 
life  may  require.  The  animal  man  is  still  more 
independent,  as  he  can  prepare  and  transport  his 
sustenance  with  him,  and  is  thus  able  to  traverse 
the  great  Sahara,  the  trackless  ocean,  and  even  to 
navigate  the  air.  He  claims  the  whole  earth  and 
the  fullness  thereof  as  his  own  abode,  and  occu- 
pies the  different  apartments  at  pleasure. 

But  the  mind  has  a  still  larger  range ;  its  tether 
is  immeasurably  extended,  so  that  it  gathers  food 
from  afar.  It  unwraps  the  covering  from  around 
the  most  obscure  secrets  of  nature;  it  weaves 
into  the  web  of  poesy  the  beautiful  images  of 
manifold  being;  it  makes  the  impressible  atmos- 
phere resonant  with  the  grandest  harmonies  of 
music ;  it  analyzes  the  materials  of  the  great  lumi- 
nary of  the  heavens  by  day,  and  then  walks  forth 
among  the  stars  by  night,  the  appreciative  observ- 
er in  the  remote  depths  of  space. 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  I5 

Thus  is  man  anchored  to  the  earth,  yet  lives  in 
all  the  realm  of  nature's  wide  domain.  What 
means  this  fetter  and  this  freedom?  Will  the 
great  earth  which  feeds  these  faculties  claim  them 
as  his  own  and  draw  them  back  to  himself?  or 
does  nature  give  us  such  length  of  strand  to  en- 
courage the  hope  and  faith  that  she  will  finally  cut 
the  earthly  tie  and  let  us  live  apart  forever?  Are 
not  our  very  best  faculties  more  than  earth  can 
give?     Then  should  not  Heaven  claim  his  own? 

We  are  all  hastening  to  solve  these  problems, 
each  for  himself  in  the  destiny  of  his  own  being. 
These  considerations  make  life  momentous.  Man 
is  such  a  wonderful  being  that  the  story  of  any  life 
must  be  of  thrilling  interest.  The  waking  desires, 
the  rise  of  aspirations,  the  birth  and  growth  of 
hope,  the  genesis  and  development  of  love,  to- 
gether with  the  ripe  fruition  of  life,  are  themes 
worthy  of  any  tongue  or  pen. 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Budding  Period. 

EVERY  boy  has  a  budding  season.  He  buds 
ideas,  oddities,  and  mischief.  From  this  trin- 
ity of  resources  the  character  of  the  future  man 
is  to  be  produced.  If  ideas  prevail,  the  boy  devel- 
ops into  a  wise  man;  if  oddities,  he  becomes  an 
eccentric  man;  if  mischief,  then  comes  the  disa- 
greeable man.  If  ideas  and  oddities  are  both 
strongly  developed,  we  have  a  strong,  angular 
man,  a  man  of  sharp  corners,  apt  to  be  conscien- 
tious, and  always  forceful.  If  ideas  and  mischief 
blend  together  in  large  proportions,  we  have  the 
dangerous  man,  the  revolutionist,  or  the  sharper. 
If  oddities  and  mischief  make  up  the  man,  they 
turn  out  the  scoundrel  or  the  scapegrace. 

The  boy  makes  the  man  as  surely  as  the  tadpole 
makes  the  frog,  and  the  making  is  well  or  ill  ac- 
cording to  the  materials  used  in  the  construction. 

I  suppose  I  was  about  an  average  boy,  as  these 
qualities  were  developed  in  me  in  about  equal  pro- 
portions. All  these  attributes  were  indicated  by 
the  number,  variety,  and  absurdity  of  questions. 
My  inquisitiveness  levied  tribute  upon  the  patience 
of  everj^body  in  reach. 

A  boy  thus  constituted  becomes  a  veritable,  liv- 
ing interrogation  point.  The  very  crook  of  his 
(16) 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  1 7 

finger  is  suggestive  of  that  punctuation  character. 
And  when  he  is  lying  flat  of  his  back  on  the  car- 
pet, with  his  feet  waving  in  the  air,  he  looks  like 
an  interrogation  point  which  has  fallen  down  to 
laugh  at  the  absurdity  of  his  own  questions. 

Good  health,  perfect  digestion,  and  complete  as- 
similation, in  a  boy,  are  wonderfully  productive  of 
questions.  Beef,  pork,  mutton,  chicken,  biscuit, 
butter,  molasses,  and  almost  anything  else,  turn 
out  a  large  supply.  A  healthy,  growing  boy  will 
ask  more  questions  in  a  day  than  a  dozen  query 
editors  of  our  great  papers  could  answer  in  a 
week. 

The  questions  in  my  case  pertained  to  every  de- 
partment of  life  and  every  secret  of  nature.  They 
were  especially  noted  for  frequency,  persistency, 
and  audacity.  To  worry,  to  puzzle,  or  to  embar- 
rass somebody  seemed  to  be  the  chief  concern  of 
life  at  that  period.  I  could  always  worry  mother, 
and  generally  puzzle  mammy,  and  sometimes  em- 
barrass Will  Benson,  my  sister  Mary's  lover.  In 
asking  these  questions  I  was  perform.ing  the  true 
functions  of  a  boy's  life,  growing  in  body  and 
mind,  and  having  a  good  time.  Mammy  used  to 
say  that  I  was  then  "  eating  my  white  bread,"  by 
which  she  meant  that  I  was  having  the  happiest 
time  of  my  life. 

This  sage  remark  of  mammy's,  so  often  repeated 

about  the  white  bread,  was  always  a  puzzle  to  me. 

I  had  never  seen  any  other  than  white  bread,  and 

why  the  eating  of  that  should  be  a  symbol  of  good 

2 


l8  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

times  was  what  I  could  not  understand.  In  latter 
life  I  have  concluded  that  the  phrase  originated  at 
the  time  when  white  or  sifted  flour  had  not  yet 
come  into  general  use,  but  was  the  food  of  only 
the  favored  few.  To  be  able  to  eat  white  bread 
was  then  the  evidence  of  superior  condition  in 
life. 

But  the  idea  conveyed  that  I  was  then  seeing 
my  best  days  was  also  a  puzzle.  To  my  mind 
nearly  everything  good  was  in  the  future.  While 
I  had  everything  necessary  to  my  comfort,  still  it 
was  a  period  of  unrest.  I  was  too  eager  to  get  on- 
ward to  permit  intense  enjoyment  of  the  present. 
It  is  always  so  with  youth.  The  dim  figure  of 
prophecy  marches  ever  before  the  young.  The 
pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by 
night  are  always  to  the  front.  The  grand  endeav- 
or, the  brilliant  achievement,  the  successful  life 
are  all  in  the  future.  The  manliness  of  independ- 
ence, the  joys  of  love,  and  the  rewards  of  bravery 
sparkle  like  scintillations  of  hope  along  the  paths 
trodden  by  the  young.  Those  who  walk  forth 
amid  the  roses  still  fresh  with  the  dews  of  life's 
early  morning  are  always  looking  to  the  brighter 
and  richer  joys  of  the  midday  splendor.  To  them 
the  garden  of  Eden  is  still  in  the  future. 

When  we  reach  the  borders  of  age,  we  are  apt 
to  find  that  our  Eden  has  shifted  to  the  past.  In- 
stead of  anticipation  we  have  reverie ;  memory  in- 
stead of  hope.  Thus  it  is  ever  the  same  in  every 
age:   "  the  young  men  see  visions  and  the  old  men 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  I9 

dream  dreams."  If  the  genius  ever  comes  to  give 
to  the  world  by  chisel  or  brush  the  true  ideal  of 
youth,  it  will  be  a  figure  of  manly  beauty,  young 
in  years,  bending  forward  in  the  attitude  of  rapid 
walk,  with  vigorous  energy  in  the  step,  the  coun- 
tenance lighted  with  a  smile  of  hope,  and  the  eyes 
beaming  with  intense  desire,  as  they  peer  into  the 
uncertain  future. 

Surely  the  hopes  of  youth  are  not  all,  and  al- 
ways, futile.  The  bright  visions  are  not  all  delu- 
sions. There  is  no  good  reason  why  the  bud 
should  be  sweeter  than  the  fruit,  unless  the  fruit 
is  of  the  bitter  kind.  Surely  it  is  the  pessimistic 
view  of  life  to  regard  childhood  as  its  best  or  hap- 
piest stage.  It  is  only  in  lives  that  are  failures 
that  this  is  true.  Men  in  the  haunts  of  vice,  or  in 
the  penal  cells  of  confinement,  may  well  sigh  for 
a  return  to  the  innocence  of  youth.  The  man  who 
meets  the  demands  of  life  bravely  and  performs 
his  duties  faithfully  has  no  occasion  to  wish  to  go 
a  second  time  over  the  pains  and  sorrows  of  the 
past.  After  mature  deliberation  I  conclude  that 
for  once  mammy  was  mistaken.  Those  were  not 
my  best  days. 

One  very  annoying  trouble  I  had  in  my  early 
days  was  that  mother  insisted  on  putting  me  to  my 
book.  It  was  not  books  in  those  days,  but  book. 
Noah  Webster's  blue-back  speller  was  the  rack  on 
which  every  child's  pleasure  had  to  be  tortured. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  every  time  I  became  particu- 
larly interested  in  play  mother  or  sister  would  call 


20  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

out:  "Sammy,  come  say  your  lesson."  Mother 
said  that  she  wanted  no  boobies  in  her  family,  and 
would  hear  no  excuse.  Thus  early  she  began  my 
education — that  is,  she  began  to  round  off  the 
oddities,  suppress  the  mischief,  and  develop  the 
ideas.  As  the  young  ideas  began  to  shoot,  she 
began  to  train  them  through  the  trellised  letters  of 
the  old  speller.  These  branches  in  time  became 
stout  and  self-sustaining,  but  needed  support  at  first. 
The  tree  of  knowledge  grows  all  the  more  straight 
and  comely  because  of  proper  training.  Such  a 
tree  will  sometimes  grow  wonderfully  strong  and 
towering,  without  apparent  help,  but  is  apt  to  be 
rugged  and  crooked.  The  man  of  well-rounded 
intellect,  correctly  poised  in  moral  strength,  who 
is  able  to  stand  forth  as  a  successful  champion  of 
the  right,  is  apt  to  be  the  man  whose  early  train- 
ing has  not  been  neglected,  and  who  shows  in  the 
lineaments  of  his  intellectual  character  the  unmis- 
takable traces  of  a  mother's  hallowed  influence. 


CHAPTER  III. 
The  Home. 

THE  greatest  blessing  of  childhood  is  to  have  a 
home.  Not  simply  a  place  to  stay,  a  locality 
where  he  may  grow  in  stature,  and  perhaps  in 
wickedness,  but  a  real  home;  a  home  where 
parental  authority  guides,  and  where  the  graces  of 
virtue  and  wisdom  preside;  a  home  where  love 
reigns  supreme,  and  molds  the  home  manners;  a 
home  where  God  is  recognized,  and  duty  is  su- 
preme, and  pleasure  is  not  forbidden;  a  home 
from  whose  altar  the  incense  of  true  worship  daily 
ascends  to  the  great  giver  of  life.  Such  homes  are 
the  nurseries  of  the  church  and  the  bulwarks  of 
the  state.  Here  the  better  instincts  of  life  are  de- 
veloped, and  %drtue  and  wisdom  spring  forth  like 
angels  of  peace  to  make  the  world  better  and 
brighter. 

If  the  home  is  in  the  country,  all  the  better. 
Then  if  this  country  home  is  in  the  South,  all  the 
conditions  are  complete,  and  childhood's  days  are 
bright  indeed.  Some  of  the  sweetest  recollections 
of  life  cluster  around  the  dear  old  country  home  in 
the  land  of  sun  and  flowers.  Home  !  the  place 
v/here  the  soul  unbends  and  the  mind  grows  calm; 
the  place  where  manhood  puts  on  the  armor  for 
the  battles  of  life.     No  other  spot  can  inspire  such 

C21) 


22  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

sentiments  of  devotion.  No  other  place  is  half  so 
sweet  with  the  fragrance  of  genial  love.  The  love 
of  home  is  the  taproot  of  patriotism,  and  from  it 
grows  the  grand  old  trunk  of  national  independ- 
ence. 

Those  were  sunny  days :  the  days  of  youth  on  a 
Southern  plantation.  Surely  no  other  land  could 
be  so  productive  of  reverie  and  daydreams.  What 
delightful  pictures  pass  in  bright  procession  through 
the  halls  of  memory  as  the  scenes  of  childhood 
come  afresh  from  the  stores  of  the  past ! 

"  The  First  Steps  in  Geography  "  with  me  was 
to  become  acquainted  with  my  father's  plantation. 
It  was  such  a  delightful  study  that  I  must  tell  the 
reader  its  important  features.  The  house  sat  far 
back  from  the  road  in  the  midst  of  grand  old  for- 
est trees.  I  am  grateful  even  yet  to  the  original 
settlers  for  leaving  about  forty  acres  of  woodland 
not  to  be  encroached  upon  by  the  ever  greedy  cot- 
ton fields.  Through  the  center  of  this  woodland 
a  wide  avenue  led  from  the  large  gate  on  the  road 
to  the  house.  The  trees,  shrubs,  and  vines  of  this 
forest  were  of  nature's  own  planting.  Here  were 
deep  shades  and  tangled  masses  interspersed  with 
more  open  spaces,  as  we  are  apt  to  find  in  wild 
forest  growths. 

Around  the  borders  of  this  wood  in  the  early 
spring  the  little  meadow  blue-bells  sprinkled  the 
green  earth  with  tiny  gems  of  beauty.  Ever}^- 
where,  even  in  the  deeper  shades,  the  violets  grew 
in  great  profusion.     Other  flowers  in  succession. 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  23 

as  the  season  advanced,  lent  beauty  to  the  scenes. 
In  their  season  the  white  blooms  of  the  dogwoods, 
the  red  ones  of  the  red  buds,  and  the  yellow  ones 
of  the  poplars  were  objects  of  special  admiration. 
When  the  linden  trees  were  in  bloom,  they  gave  not 
only  beauty  to  the  scenery,  but  a  rich  fragrance  to 
the  atmosphere.  They  attracted  the  honey  bees 
in  such  numbers  as  to  produce  a  constant  hum, 
like  a  swarm  of  bees  passing  through  the  air. 

Animated  nature  added  charms  to  this  wood. 
There  squirrels  lived  and  rabbits  hid.  Coveys  of 
partridges  found  retreat  in  the  underbrush,  and  the 
limbs  of  the  trees  were  often  loaded  with  black- 
birds. Little  wrens  and  bluebirds  sported  along 
the  ground.  Gay  redbirds  and  beautiful  robins 
played  among  the  foliage.  The  soft  cooing  of  the 
dove  and  the  harsh  voice  of  the  blue  jay  mingled  in 
strange  contrast.  All  bird  notes  were  heard,  from 
the  sweet,  variable  songs  of  the  mocking  bird  to  the 
cawing  of  the  crow.  Many  a  time,  while  the  bright 
sun  peeped  down  through  the  leaves  and  the  soft 
breezes  of  the  south  fanned  the  cheeks  of  nature, 
I  have  for  hours  lolled  on  some  grassy  knoll  watch- 
ing the  birds  in  their  loves  and  the  fiov/ers  in  their 
beauty. 

The  avenue  from  the  gate  to  the  house  was  nearly 
level.  Off  to  the  left,  as  we  approached  the  dwell- 
ing, the  land  was  gently  undulating,  while  to  the 
right  it  broke  into  deep  hollows.  Near  the  corner 
of  the  v/oodland,  in  one  of  these  hollows,  a  cool 
spring  flowed  out  from  under  the  bluff.     The  spring 


24  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

was  several  hundred  yards  from  the  house,  but  not 
so  far  from  the  quarters. 

Our  dwelHng  had  been  built  with  a  view  to  com- 
fort in  the  Southern  clime.  It  had  broad  halls  and 
spacious  verandas,  where  the  cool  breezes  made 
leisure  delightful.  The  spacious  yard  abounded 
in  shrubbery  and  flowers;  the  rich  garden  teemed 
with  vegetables;  the  outhouses  were  many  and 
convenient ;  the  quarters,  the  rows  of  white  houses, 
with  street  between,  where  the  servants  lived,  were 
located  a  convenient  distance  from  "  de  big  house," 
Vv'hile  near  by  were  the  lots  and  barns  for  the  care 
of  mules  and  other  stock. 

In  the  rear  of  the  buildings  the  broad  fields  ex- 
tended for  more  than  a  mile.  The  cultivated  land 
was  gently  undulating,  thus  giving  proper  drainage 
and  a  pleasing  variety  as  to  elevation.  A  broad 
valley  ran  through,  giving  richness  and  beauty  to 
the  farm.  It  looked  as  if  the  broad  waves  of  some 
mighty  ocean  had  been  suddenly  arrested  in  their 
action  and  hardened  into  sohd  ground.  The  large 
fields  of  cotton  and  smaller  ones  of  corn  in  sum- 
mer presented  a  pleasing  variety  of  living  green. 
In  autumn  the  cotton  fields  were  white  with  open 
bolls.  The  fleecy  rows  looked  like  banks  of  snow 
in  underbrush. 

Such  was  the  home  of  my  childhood;  a  home 
to  memory  dear,  and  made  dearer  still  because  of 
a  fact  which  very  early  came  with  peculiar  force  to 
my  consciousness.  That  fact  is  germane  to  the 
truth   of   this  history.     It    was    the    existence   of 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  25 

another  home  nearby.  Just  beyond  the  woodland, 
and  almost  in  front  of  the  big  gate  on  the  road  at 
the  terminus  of  the  avenue,  in  a  grove  not  so  large 
as  ours,  was  the  home  of  Mr.  Brantlett.  His 
daughter  Susie  was  just  two  years  younger  than 
I.  The  Brantletts  were  our  friends.  The  rela- 
tions between  us  were  never  strained.  We  inter- 
changed visits  informally,  and  our  intercourse  was 
always  cordial. 

To  my  childish  imagination  the  bright  Southern 
sun  became  several  degrees  brighter  on  the  days 
when  Mrs.  Brantlett  came  over  to  spend  the  day 
and  brought  Susie,  as  was  always  her  custom.  I 
remember  well  one  such  day.  It  was  a  perfect 
day  in  early  summer.  With  delight  and  tender 
care  I  led  the  way  to  the  most  cherished  retreats 
in  the  forest.  Here  were  mossy  banks  and  there 
were  wild  flowers;  here  the  dense,  cool  shade, 
there  the  grapevine  swing.  With  leafy  bowers  we 
constructed  playhouses,  floored  them  with  moss, 
and  decorated  them  with  flowers.  Let  Burns  talk 
about  "the  golden  hours  on  angels'  wings;"  I 
had  my  angel  with  me,  and  took  no  note  of  the  fly- 
ing hours  nor  the  texture  of  their  wings. 

The  spirit  of  prophecy  often  hovers  about  each 
life.  Sometimes  with  grim  visage,  lurking  in  the 
shadows,  crying,  "Woe,  woe;"  and  sometimes 
with  the  radiance  of  hope,  whispering,  "  Peace, 
peace."  Hence  it  sometimes  happens,  we  know 
not  why,  that  our  brightest  days  have  a  semblance 
of  a  shadow  and  a  tinge  of  sadness.     Sometimes 


26  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

our  joy  is  intensified  by  the  subtle  presence  of  a 
delightful  forecast.  So  it  was  with  me.  Some 
sweet  angel's  finger  was  toying  with  my  spirit's 
happiness  and  painting  the  riper  joys  on  the  far-off 
horizon  of  the  future. 

But  hours,  however  golden,  will,  after  awhile, 
bring  us  around  face  to  face  with  some  of  our  oft 
returning  wants.  To  us  they  brought  intense 
thirst.  This,  of  course,  suggested  a  trip  to  the 
spring.  With  what  joy  I  assisted  Susie  down  the 
steep  declivity,  while  the  air  grew  refreshingly 
cooler  as  we  descended ! 

From  the  "  time  to  which  memory  runs  not 
back"  a  stake  stuck  in  the  ground  had  held  a 
crooked-handle  gourd  by  that  spring.  With  what 
simple  gallantry  I  took  the  gourd  and  handed  water 
to  Susie !  Her  unfeigned  relish  for  the  cool  bev- 
erage made  me  glad.  The  deliciousness  of  the 
water  from  that  gourd !  it  refreshes  my  memory 
still. 

We  always  had  special  orders  not  to  play  in  the 
spring  branch.  As  usual,  that  which  was  forbidden 
was  powerfully  tempting.  I  cannot  say  we  were 
entirely  exemplary.  We  lingered  too  long  in  the 
atmosphere  of  enticement.  Among  the  vivid  pic- 
tures of  those  early  days,  preserved  on  memory's 
scroll,  none  are  more  vivid  than  those  of  Susie's 
little  hands  playing  in  the  clear,  cold  water,  or  her 
little,  disobedient  feet  wading  in  the  spring  branch. 
But  our  transgressions  were  cut  short  by  mammy's 
watchful   eye.     We  could  depend  on  mammy  to 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  27 

keep  our  secret  and  to  make  us  presentable  at  the 
"  big  house,"  so  that  "  ole  missus"  would  know 
nothing  of  our  playing  in  the  water.  Up  the  steep 
ascent,  a  narrow  path,  worn  deep  by  many  footsteps, 
led  us  out  of  the  deep  ravine.  The  air  was  sensi- 
bly warmer  as  we  ascended  from  the  cool  water. 
We  returned  home  as  demurely  as  if  no  temptation 
had  befallen  us.  But  Susie  was  too  conscientious 
for  concealment.  A  tearful  repentance,  an  honest 
confession,  and  a  vow  of  obedience  in  the  future 
put  an  end  to  our  disobedient  wading  in  the  water. 
But  I  must  confess  that  it  was  hard  for  me  to  see 
the  harm  in  a  transgression  so  delightful.  'Tis 
always  so ;  sin  comes  with  oiled  point  so  smooth 
that  the  sting  at  first  gives  only  a  sensation  of 
pleasure. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Our  Neighbors. 

AS  I  grew  older  the  boundaries  of  my  geograph- 
ical knowledge  extended.  In  all  directions 
from  our  home,  except  north,  there  were  farms 
like  our  own.  These  were  joined  by  others,  so 
that  for  many  miles  there  was  a  succession  of 
highly  cultivated  fields,  with  intervening  reserva- 
tions of  woodland.  About  a  mile  and  a  half  south 
of  us,  in  a  lovely  grove,  was  situated  Conway 
Chapel,  the  church  we  attended.  About  halfway 
between  our  home  and  the  church  was  the  neat 
little  academy  where  the  young  ideas  of  the  neigh- 
borhood were  woven  into  the  web  of  culture. 

Maj.  Allen  lived  southeast  of  us  on  his  large 
plantation.  He  had  two  sons,  Ben  and  Joe.  They 
were  playmates  of  mine.  Their  little  sister  Minnie 
was  about  the  age  of  Susie  Brantlett.  South,  be- 
tween our  house  and  the  academy,  lived  Maj. 
Jones.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  culture,  and 
this,  in  some  degree,  made  up  for  the  smallness  of 
his  farm.  He  worked  only  about  a  dozen  hands. 
Southwest  lay  the  magnificent  home  of  Col.  Park- 
er. He  worked  more  hands  than  any  other  man 
in  the  settlement,  and  was  therefore  much  respect- 
ed, and  his  friendship  greatly  prized.  His  only 
son,  Adolphus,  was  a  well-grown,  fine-looking  boy, 
(28) 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  29 

and  rather  overbearing.  He  moved  about  among 
us  boys  with  the  conscious  air  of  great  possessions. 
West  was  the  plantation  of  'Squire  Benson,  whose 
hopeful  son  Will  was  a  frequent  and  not  unwel- 
come visitor  at  our  house.  East,  just  beyond  the 
woodland,  as  I  have  before  noticed,  was  the  pleas- 
ant Httle  home  of  Mr.  Brantlett.  Beyond  that, 
old  Mr.  Webb  lived  on  his  large  estate.  The  chil- 
dren were  all  married  and  settled  in  homes  of  their 
own.  The  old  people  lived  in  the  old  homestead 
in  great  peace,  and  greatly  respected  by  all  their 
neighbors.  These  were  our  nearest  neighbors. 
Except  Mr.  Webb's,  their  plantations  joined  ours. 
We  were  people  similarly  situated  in  life,  and  of 
similar  tastes,  and  therefore  we  were  congenial 
and  friendly.  Our  parents  visited  each  other  oft- 
en, and  we  children  were  frequently  together. 

Of  course  our  acquaintance  and  our  neighborly 
friendships  extended  further.  There  were  the 
Smiths,  Murphys,  Browns,  Bufords,  Conways, 
and  others.  We  frequently  met  these  more  dis- 
tant neighbors  at  church  and  elsewhere.  We  oc- 
casionally visited  each  other,  and  thus  maintained 
friendly  relations.  But  the  families  to  whom  I 
have  specially  referred  were  our  intimate  friends. 

North  of  us  was  a  stretch  of  hill  country,  unsuit- 
ed  for  large  farms.  Ours  was  frequently  spoken 
of  as  a  "  border  plantation."  I  very  early  had  a 
desire  to  know  something  of  that  hill  country. 
One  pleasant  day  in  winter  I  received  permission 
to  take  two  negro  boys  and  go  rabbit  hunting.     I 


30  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

called  up  Dick  and  Jake,  who  responded  with  alac- 
rity. As  soon  as  they  learned  that  a  rabbit  hunt 
was  on  the  tapis  they  began  to  yell  for  the  dogs. 
There  was  no  scarcity  of  this  article  on  our  place. 
Nearly  every  negro  had  his  dog.  Here  they  came, 
"  mongrel,  puppy,  whelp,  and  hound,  and  curs  of 
low  degree."  "Tray,  Blanche,  Sweetheart,  the 
little  dogs  and  all,"  all  ready  for  the  fray.  With 
dogs  yelping  and  jumping,  and  boys  in  high  glee, 
we  made  toward  the  hills.  Passing  the  quarters, 
we  encountered  a  group  of  small  darkies.  One  lit- 
tle kinky-headed  fellow,  grinning  out  of  a  round, 
black  face,  ventured  the  question:  "  Whar's  y'all 
gwine?"  Each  one  of  them  in  succession  repeat- 
ed the  very  same  question:  "Whar's  y'all  gwine?" 

Dick,  showing  his  white  teeth,  acted  as  spokes- 
man for  the  hunters:  "  Us's  gwine  ter  ketch  a 
Molly  cottontail."     This  was  his  name  for  rabbit. 

We  rambled  over  the  hills  chasing  "bar's,"  as 
some  of  the  negroes  called  them,  until  we  were 
more  than  a  mile  from  home.  Dick  and  Jake 
each  sported  a  "  Molly  cottontail.' 

From  a  lofty  eminence  we  looked  down  a  long 
hollow  and  plainly  saw  a  house.  It  was  a  double 
log  house,  or  perhaps  it  would  be  more  properly 
classed  as  a  comfortable  cabin.  In  the  narrow 
valley  beyond  was  a  small  field  cramped  in  be- 
tween the  hills.    White  people  were  passing  about. 

"  Dem's  not  our  sort  o'  folks,"  said  Dick. 

"Dat  fiel'  ain't  no  bigger'n  a  turnip  patch,"  re- 
plied Jake. 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  3I 

We  at  once  became  explorers.  Guided  by  the 
sound  of  an  ax,  we  soon  came  in  sight  of  a  white 
man  cutting  wood.  A  white  boy  was  piHng  the 
brush  and  otherwise  helping.  The  boy  was  about 
my  age.  We  judged  them  to  be  father  and  son. 
They  wore  coarse  clothes,  and  were  evidently  used 
to  work. 

This  was  all  a  revelation  to  me.  I  had  never 
heard  of  these  neighbors  of  ours.  Then  it  was  so 
strange  to  find  them  doing  work  that  I  had  seen 
colored  men  do.  The  man  and  the  boy  looked  at 
us  kindly  enough,  and  I  think  would  have  spoken 
to  us  if  we  had  not  been  so  shy. 

That  night,  after  we  returned  home  I  asked 
mammy  about  these  people. 

"  O  dem's  po'  white  trash,"  she  said,  "  moved 
in  down  dar;  you's  mighty  wrong,  hunny,  to  go 
dat  fur  f'um  home,  an'  'mung  dem  folks." 

This  was  not  very  satisfactory.  Next  morning 
I  hunted  up  Uncle  George,  the  carriage  driver,  and 
inquired  of  him. 

"  Hit's  dat  feller  Henderson  I  'spects  you  seed, 
sunny,"  said  the  old  darky  kindly.  "  Heap  o' 
dem  po'  white  folks  live  over  on  Plum  Creek." 

So  we  had  new  neighbors.  I  determined  as 
opportunity  offered  to  find  out  more  about  them. 


CHAPTER  V. 
In  the  Quarters. 

NEVER  was  a  boy  raised  on  a  large  plantation 
in  the  South  who  did  not  love  to  revel  in  the 
quarters.  The  reader  will  understand  that  this  is 
the  name  universally  applied  to  the  village  where 
the  servants  lived.  A  boy  reached  his  utmost  im- 
portance down  in  the  quarters.  Smiles  and  kind 
words  greeted  him  everywhere.  He  was  "  hun- 
ny,"  "sunny,"  or  *' young  massa,"  was  at  full 
liberty  to  bound  into  any  cabin  unannounced  and 
unceremoniously,  and  was  everywhere  welcomed 
and  flattered.  The  old  servants  loved  to  put  their 
hands  upon  him,  or  their  arms  around  him,  and 
tell  how  much  he  "  favored  ole  massa,"  or  "  Mas' 
George"  or  "Mas'  Charlie,"  alluding  to  his  un- 
cles or  older  brothers.  The  young  servants  were 
always  ready  for  a  romp  "  wid  young  massa." 

The  most  delightful  time  to  study  the  negro 
character  in  the  quarters  was  in  autumn  by  moon- 
light. The  evenings  were  long,  the  weather  brac- 
ing, and  life  was  at  full  tide.  Of  course  mammy 
was  expected  to  keep  watch  over  me;  but  mammy 
was  as  fond  of  the  freedom  of  the  quarters  after 
the  busy  rush  of  the  day  was  over  as  was  her 
charge.  Then  where  could  I  be  safer  than 
among  her  own  people?  Mammy  usually  settled 
(32) 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  33 

down  in  a  comfortable  corner  with  Aunt  Sally  or 
Aunt  'Lindy  for  a  season  of  quiet  repose,  amid 
whiffs  of  tobacco  smoke  and  plantation  gossip, 
while  I  romped  around  with  the  "young  fry" 
from  one  cabin  to  another  with  great  hilarity. 

One  such  visit  I  now  recall,  and  will  describe. 
I  had  not  more  than  reached  the  grounds  and 
sniffed  the  signs  of  fun,  when  a  great  commotion 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  quarters  attracted  my  at- 
tention. I  heard  pious  Aunt  Lizzie  say:  "Long 
Jim  is  sarvin'  de  debel,  an'  leadin'  dem  young  nig- 
gers to  'struction."  This  was  probably  meant  as 
a  warning.  But  for  me  it  was  more  than  an  invi- 
tation.    It  lent  speed  to  my  feet. 

Sure  enough,  Long  Jim  had  out  his  fiddle,  and 
its  moving  strains  were  fairly  inspiring  the  devo- 
tees of  such  music.  He  was  surrounded  by  about 
thirty  negroes,  male  and  female,  mostly  young, 
all  out  in  the  bright  moonshine.  They  were  hav- 
ing, as  they  expressed  it,  a  regular  "  breakdown." 
Such  music,  accompanied  by  such  dancing!  The 
whole  performance  was  a  law  unto  itself.  It  was 
hampered  by  no  rules  of  art.  It  was  above  art. 
It  was  genius.  The  music  was  like  an  all-pervad- 
ing nerve  center  actuating  every  movement.  Such 
spirit,  such  energy,  such  exuberant  life !  It  was 
the  poetry  of  motion  set  to  music.  It  was  the 
rhythmic  riot  of  physical  energy  prancing  in  the 
harness  of  delight.  Among  no  other  people  in 
any  part  of  the  world  could  such  a  scene  have 
been  witnessed.  The  artificial  dances  practiced 
3 


34  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

by  the   elite,  as  compared  with  this,  are  like  the 
faint  echoes  of  the  far-off  reality. 

Not  far  from  this  group  was  a  much  smaller  one, 
actuated  by  a  similar  spirit,  as  if  it  were  a  side- 
show in  the  wake  of  a  circus.  Here  was  a  man 
sitting  on  the  doorsteps  of  his  cabin  making  music, 
or  at  least  keeping  time,  with  two  gourds  by  knock- 
ing them  together.  Two  boys  were  dancing.  As 
they  danced,  one  sang,  and  both  accorded  their 
motions  to  the  words: 

"  Fust  upon  de  heel  tap,  den  upon,  de  toe, 
An'  eb'ry  time  I  turn  aroun' 
I  jump  Jim  Crow." 

At  the  other  end  of  the  quarters  another  group 
was  gathered  in  and  around  the  door  of  a  cabin, 
singing  with  a  pathos  which  seemed  to  be  born  of 
the  recollections  of  long  ago : 

"  O  carry  me  back,  O  carry  me  back, 
To  ole  Virginny's  shore." 

Right  across  the  grounds  a  man  or  boy  came 
bounding  along  with  a  "  hop,  skip,  and  a  jump," 
and  singing  a  solo  as  he  went: 

"Jenny  crack  corn,  I  don't  keer, 
Ole  massa  gone  away." 

In  another  part  of  the  quarters  a  lot  of  boys 
were  turning  somersaults,  jumping  fiat-footed,  go- 
ing half -hammered,  making  three  jumps,  running 
and  jumping,  jumping  backward,  and  otherwise 
testing  strength  and  skill. 

Finally  Long  Jim's  concert  made  a  halt,  proba- 
bly for  a  rest  before  taking  another  heat.     As  if 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  35 

moved  by  a  common  impulse,  they  struck  up  with 
a  full  chorus  of  melodious  voices: 

"  Way  down  upon  de  S'wanee  Riber, 
Far,  far  awaj, 
Dar's  whar  my  heart  is  turnin'  eber, 
Dar's  whar  de  ole  folks  stay." 

Especially  when  they  reached  the  chorus  there  was 
a  swell  of  voices  which  was  truly  inspiring: 

"All  de  worl'  am  sad  an'  dreary, 
Eb'ry  whar  I  roam ; 
O  brudder,  how  my  heart  grows  weary, 
Sighin'  for  de  ole  folks  at  home." 

Why  words  which  imply  sadness  and  isolation 
should  be  so  much  in  favor  Vv^ith  people  in  such  a 
high  tide  of  social  life  is  a  psychological  problem 
I  leave  the  reader  to  solve. 

In  one  of  the  cabins  several  men  and  women 
were  singing  religious  songs.  One  acted  as  lead- 
er by  chanting  two  lines  of  the  hymn,  and  then  all 
joined  in  the  singing. 

All  this  time  talking  went  on  as  if  nothing  else 
was  on  hand.  They  always  talked  in  loud  tones, 
with  constant  effort  at  wit  and  repartee,  though  of 
course  they  knew  nothing  of  these  words.  It  was 
no  uncommon  thing  for  conversation  to  be  carried 
on  by  persons  on  opposite  sides  of  the  street. 
They  had  no  disposition  to  talk  in  undertones.  A 
white  man  will  walk  fifty  yards  to  talk  in  low  tones 
to  a  friend  for  two  or  three  minutes,  about  the 
most  trivial  matters,  'rather  than  put  forth  the  ex- 
ertion of  his  vocal  organs  to  make  himself  under- 
stood at  that  distance.     He  does  this  because  it 


36  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

saves  labor.  Not  so  with  the  big-lunged  and  glib- 
tongued  slaves  of  the  olden  time.  For  them  to 
talk  was  not  labor;  it  was  rest  and  pastime.  On 
this  moonlight  night  motion  and  noise  had  full 
sway. 

Passing  by  Uncle  Ned's  cabin,  I  saw  that  he 
was  holding  family  worship.  If  Long  Jim  was 
"sarvin'  de  debil,"  not  a  few  of  these  old  negroes 
were  trying  to  serve  the  Lord.  They  were  faith- 
ful in  their  prayers  and  pious  songs.  No  amount 
of  mirth  in  the  quarters  could  interrupt  their  re- 
ligious services.  It  was  the  general  rule  with  the 
negroes  in  their  devotions  to  pray  for  "  ole  massa 
an'  ole  missus"  and  all  their  family. 

My  associations  with  the  servants  in  the  quar- 
ters were  by  no  means  all  demoralizing.  Noble 
sentiments,  spiritual  aspirations,  patient  endurance, 
lasting  friendships,  constant  recognition  of  divine 
Providence,  and  humble  submission  to  the  divine 
order  were  prominent  characteristics  of  many  of 
these  truly  pious  old  slaves.  Their  influence  on 
me  was  strong  and  durable.  I  was  constantly  im- 
pressed with  the  thought  that  if  slaves  could  have 
noble  qualities  of  manhood  a  freeman  should  have 
more.  Their  religious  fervor  acted  as  a  power- 
fully conservative  check  on  the  waywardness  of 
young  masters,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  their 
influence  was  afterward  felt  in  the  religious  tone 
of  the  Confederate  armies. "  They  have  a  genius 
for  religion,  and  may  yet  render  the  world  impor- 
tant service  along  this  line. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
In   the   Fields  . 

THE  cotton  fields  of  the  olden  time  were  unique. 
They  were  characteristic  of  the  system  then 
regnant.  They  showed  plainly  the  labor  of  many 
hands  directed  by  one  mind.  There  was  none  of 
the  patchwork  division  peculiar  to  lands  cultivated 
by  small,  independent  farmers.  Each  season  had 
its  own  peculiar  labor,  and  all  was  of  interest  to 
me.  The  broad  fields  gave  ample  range  for  my 
boyish  feet.  The  winters  were  so  mild  the  men 
could  generally  be  out  at  work,  and  I  was  apt  to 
be  out  at  something,  probably  chasing  rabbits  or 
baiting  traps  for  birds.  Snow  fell  only  occasion- 
ally, and  then  soon  melted  away.  The  early  part 
of  the  winter  and  sometimes  more  was  occupied  in 
picking  cotton.  It  was  always  a  great  desire  with 
us  to  get  the  cotton  out  by  Christmas.  Then  the 
holidays  were  enjo3''ed  with  more  zest.  These 
lasted  one  week,  including  Christmas,  and  end- 
ing with  the  last  day  of  the  year.  Then  came 
the  time  for  opening  ditches,  repairing  fences, 
and  clearing  up  land  for  a  new  crop.  The 
clearing  up  was  done  mostly  by  the  "trash 
gang."  This  was  made  up  of  women,  young- 
sters, and  old  men.  The  able-bodied  men  had 
more  robust  labors. 

(37) 


38  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

The  "hands"  enlivened  their  work  by  songs, 
jokes,  and  laughter.  In  their  bright,  open  faces 
there  was  scarcely  a  trace  of  care.  Their  cheer- 
fulness was  ever  an  attraction  for  me.  Whether 
their  jokes  were  stale  or  new,  they  never  failed  to 
provoke  mirth.  These  people  had  the  happy  fac- 
ulty of  laughing  at  their  own  fun.  I  never  knew 
one  to  make  a  repartee  that  he  did  not  clinch  it 
with  a  laugh.  Often  when  separated  into  squads, 
working  in  different  places,  they  would  respond 
to  each  other  in  song.  The  squads  singing  alter- 
nate stanzas ;  or  one  squad  would  do  the  singing, 
while  the  others  would  reply  in  a  kind  of  chorus. 
They  were  a  talking,  working,  singing  race.  The 
seasons  succeeded  each  other,  bringing  a  variety 
of  labors,  but  their  cheerfulness  continued  always 
fresh. 

Behind  the  "trash  gang"  came  the  plows,  bed- 
ding up  the  land  into  long  ridges  some  three  or 
four  feet  wide.  Afterward,  when  the  dogwoods 
were  in  bloom,  the  planting  began.  The  seed 
were  hauled  out  in  wagons  and  thrown  in  piles  about 
in  the  fields  as  they  would  be  needed.  The  ridges 
were  opened  with  a  very  small  plow  and  the  seed 
sown  mostly  by  women  and  .boys.  Each  sower 
had  a  sack  in  which  the  seed  were  carried.  This 
sack  was  suspended  under  the  left  arm,  by  a  strap 
over  the  right  shoulder,  after  the  manner  of  a 
hunter's  horn.  The  mouth  of  the  sack  was  with- 
in easy  reach  of  the  right  hand.  The  seed  were 
sown  in  great  profusion,  often  covering  the  whole 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  39 

top  of  the  ridge.  A  board  or  light  harrow  was 
run  over  them,  and  thus  the  new  crop  was  planted. 

Soon  after  this  came  "cotton  choppin'  time," 
universally  recognized  as  a  busy  time,  a  time 
when  "  Gineral  Green  "  had  to  be  conquered. 
Then  came  the  "trash  gang"  with  hoes  to  the 
front.  The  immense  fields  were  cultivated  like  a 
garden.  I  have  romped  over  the  soft  loose  soil 
after  "  de  secon'  goin'  ober,"  and  could  scarcely 
find  a  sprig  of  grass.  It  was  delightful  to  look 
over  the  broad  fields  of  undulating  and  varied 
green.  The  corn  and  cotton  were  of  different 
shades,  the  corn  being  darker.  Then  each  had 
shades  of  its  own.  As  a  rule  the  crops  on  the 
lowlands  were  darker  than  those  on  elevated  posi- 
tions. But  the  age  of  the  crops,  the  degree  of 
moisture  at  the  time  each  piece  had  been  worked, 
all  tend  to  break  the  monotony  of  color,  and  give 
a  pleasing  variety  to  the  aspect  of  cultivated  na- 
ture. All  the  negroes  look  forward  to  a  season 
of  relaxation  or  comparative  rest  after  "  layin'  by 
time." 

All  through  the  long  summer  days  the  cotton 
was  blooming.  Conditions  being  favorable,  the 
fields  looked  white  in  the  morning  and  crimson  in 
the  evenings  with  the  blooms.  The  cotton  bloom 
is  the  creature  of  a  day.  It  is  full  blown  early  in 
the  morning,  and  is  then  a  rich  cream  color;  by 
night  it  has  turned  to  red.  The  next  day  it  is 
withered  and  a  new  set  of  blooms  is  undergoing 
the  same  changes.     Thus  the  cotton  is  making  a 


40  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

new  crop  of  bolls  each  day  through  the  blooming 
season.  The  bountifulness  of  the  crop  for  the 
year  depends  largely  on  the  fortune  that  attends 
the  plant  during  the  making  season. 

Early  in  the  autumn,  or  rather  while  the  sum- 
mer yet  Hngers,  the  busy  picking  season  comes 
on.  At  break  of  day  the  hands,  each  with  a  large 
*' hamper  basket,"  partially  inverted  and  with  the 
edge  resting  upon  his  head,  might  be  seen  in  long 
single  file  making  haste  to  the  fields.  This  was 
the  busiest  season  of  the  year,  and  the  meals  were 
usually  sent  to  the  fields  to  save  time.  As  soon  as 
the  hands  were  fairly  under  way  with  the  picking, 
the  gins  started.  What  a  blessing  Whitney  con- 
ferred on  the  world  when  he  invented  the  cotton 
gin !  The  gins  were  a  perpetual  source  of  interest 
to  me.  I  remember  with  what  delight  I  first  caught 
the  idea  as  to  how  the  brush  wheel  took  the  lint 
from  the  saws.  Then  the  big  cotton  press  with  its 
long  levers  sweeping  around  in  the  air!  I  have 
always  been  sorry  that  the  famous  Don  Quixote 
did  not  encounter  one  of  these  old-fashioned  cot- 
ton presses.  It  would  have  been  a  giant  worthy 
of  his  bravery.  But  he  and  Rocinante  might  have 
fared  badly,  and  poor  Sancho  would  have  had 
fresh  cause  to  lament. 

The  starting  of  the  gins  was  the  signal  for  the 
wagons  to  take  the  road.  In  those  days  before 
railroads  the  cotton  had  to  be  hauled  some  thirty 
miles  to  the  river.  Three  wagons  were  usually 
put  on  the  road.     Each  wagon  had  six  large  mules. 


A  TALE   OF   THE  OLD   SOUTH.  4I 

It  was  grand  to  see  this  wagon  train  put  in  trim, 
with  every  convenience  for  traveling  and  camping 
out.  At  least  two  mules  in  each  team  were  deco- 
rated with  bells.  Four  or  five  small  bells  were 
suspended  from  a  brass  bow  which  extended  in  a 
semicircle  above  the  withers,  being  attached  to 
the  mule's  harness.  I  never  knew  the  use  of  the 
bells,  unless  it  was  to  keep  the  mules  from  being 
frightened  at  unusual  noises.  But  whether  for 
use  or  ornament,  they  were  the  pride  and  joy  of 
the  wagoners.  Jack  was  the  chief  wagoner,  and 
to  him  was  intrusted  the  oversight  of  the  whole 
train.  His  was  a  position  of  trust  and  honor,  and 
he  appreciated  it  most  highly.  Jack  was  of  yellow 
complexion,  stout  build,  sinewy  and  muscular.  In- 
telligence was  stamped  on  every  feature.  Never 
did  an  engineer  bound  into  his  cab  and  lay  his 
hand  on  the  lever  with  an  air  of  more  importance 
than  that  with  which  Jack  mounted  his  saddle 
mule  and  drew  the  line  over  his  leader. 

Amid  the  jingle  of  bells  and  the  flourish  of 
whips  the  wagons,  each  carrying  six  bales  of  cot- 
ton, started  for  their  destination.  It  was  desira- 
ble that  the  wagons  from  several  plantations  should 
go  together  for  mutual  protection  and  help.  The 
return  of  the  wagons  was  an  event  to  be  noted. 
With  what  dignity  Jack  drove  in  his  team  and  re- 
ported to  "  ole  massa!"  Then  what  stores  of 
sugar,  coffee,  molasses,  tea,  mackerel,  and  some- 
times oysters  !  The  wagon  train  was  the  connect- 
ing link  between  us   and  the   outside  world.     It 


42  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

brought  tidings  as  well  as  good  things  from  afar. 
And  Jack  was  chief  of  that  train !  Jack  was  a 
hero;  he  was  a  traveled  man,  and  had  seen  the 
world.  He  talked  about  the  big  river  and  its  won- 
derful mysteries,  about  fine  steamboats  and  their 
all-powerful  captains.  The  young  negroes  on  the 
place  looked  to  his  position  as  the  youths  of 
America  look  to  the  presidency:  as  the  highest 
position  it  is  possible  to  reach. 

Other  industries  were  carried  on  which,  though 
not  so  promin^t,  were,  nevertheless,  valuable. 
Quite  a  number  of  women,  from  various  causes, 
did  not  go  regularly  to  the  fields.  These  did  the 
spinning,  weaving,  and  sewing  for  the  hands. 
Thus  the  plantation  was  a  community  of  itself. 
The  necessaries  of  life  were  raised  or  manufac- 
tured. Few  things  needed  to  be  bought.  There 
was  very  little  extravagance,  no  dissipation,  no 
wasted  energy  among  the  members  of  the  little 
community.  Good  export  crops  were  grown  ev- 
ery year.  No  wonder  the  signs  of  prosperity  in- 
creased on  every  hand. 

As  I  remember  those  early  days  of  simplicity 
and  constant  work,  they  were  days  full  of  content- 
ment and  cheerfulness.  On  the  return  of  the 
wagons  in  the  early  fall,  when,  as  a  special  favor, 
some  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  such  as  sugar,  coffee, 
a  larger  ration  of  molasses,  and  sometimes  (for  we 
were  not  yet  wise  on  the  temperance  question)  a 
"  leetle  ob  de  critter  to  raise  de  sperits  "  were  is- 
sued to  the  hands,  the  quarters  became  scenes  of 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  43 

unusual  mirthfulness.  Long  Jim's  concerts  would 
take  on  new  proportions,  but  would  even  then*  be 
almost  rivaled  by  squads  of  young  bucks  "  patting 
juber."  This  last  exercise  was  one  for  a  boy  to 
remember.  They  would  pat  themselves  Vv'ith  both 
hands,  frequently  slapping  their  hands  together, 
making  a  rythmic  sound  to  which  others  and  some- 
times the  patters  themselves  would  "  trip  the  light 
fantastic." 

The  amount  of  activity  to  be  gotten  out  of  this 
performance  was  wonderful.  When  once  fairly  un- 
der way,  they  would  pat  themselves  from  the  shoul- 
ders all  the  way  down  to  the  feet.  Every  muscle 
was  in  lively  exercise,  even  the  tongue  contribut- 
ing to  the  effect:  <' Juber  dis  an'  juber  dat,  an' 
juber  killed  de  yaller  cat."  Thus  in  the  absence 
of  all  instruments  the  negro's  love  of  music  was 
gratified. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
At  the  Meeting. 

FATHER  always  insisted  that  the  colored  people 
should  have  religious  privileges.  They  always 
enjoyed  such  privileges  on  our  place.  The  mis- 
sionary came  round  regularly  every  month.  There 
was  always  some  colored  exhorter  or  preacher  to 
hold  meetings  on  the  intervening  Sabbaths.  Serv- 
ices were  generally  held  in  the  afternoon.  I  fre- 
quently went  with  mammy  to  these  meetings.  They 
were  never  without  interest.  The  simple  and  abid- 
ing faith  of  these  people  seemed  alv/ays  to  insure 
the  divine  presence.  They  lived  constantly  on 
that  plane  of  humility  where  God  most  readily 
touches  humanity.  Their  prayers  were  direct  ap- 
peals to  the  ever  present  God.  Sometimes  their 
exhortations  had  an  unction  born  of  a  mighty  faith. 
Their  songs  were  a  benediction.  Their  shouting, 
in  which  exercise  they  were  not  wanting,  was  as 
the  triumphs  of  Israel  over  his  enemies.  Their 
spiritual  enjoyment  was  born  of  a  divine  life  in  the 
soul. 

Father  sometimes  attended  their  meetings,  and 
they  always  did  him  the  honor  to  call  on  him  to 
pray.  This  was  generally  at  the  close  of  the  serv- 
ices, for  they  seemed  to  think  it  indecorous  to  call 
on  "ole  massa  "  to  pray  in  the  midst  of  confusion, 
(44) 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  45 

and  therefore  waited  till  the  emotional  excitement 
had  mostly  subsided.  Father's  prayers  were  short, 
fervent,  and  adapted  to  the  occasion.  The  next 
morning  after  one  of  these  services,  I  heard  mother 
ask  Joe,  the  man  who  made  fires  and  waited  about 
the  house,  what  sort  of  meeting  they  had  last  night. 
"  O,  mighty  fine,  missus,  mighty  fine,"  he  said. 
"We  alius  has  a  good  time  when  John  preaches 
and  I  'zorts  and  massa  'eludes  meetin'." 

But  the  great  time  with  them  was  when  the  mis- 
sionary came  round.  Then  there  was  a  general 
turnout  and  more  interest  was  manifested.  There 
were  several  of  the  more  intelligent  men,  and  I 
mention  Jack  the  wagoner  as  one  of  them,  who  did 
not  much  care  to  listen  to  the  home  talent.  They 
wanted  something  better — wanted  instruction.  As 
a  natural  result  the  home  talent  was  not  pleased 
with  them  and  held  them  in  some  degree  of  sus- 
picion. The  home  preachers  thought  the  cause 
should  "be  sufficient  inspiration,  and  to  wait  for  the 
missionary  was  to  distrust  God  and  take  too  much 
to  man.  Thus  it  was  among  them  as  among  all 
people :  intelligence  looked  for  the  means  of  feed- 
ing intelligence,  while  ignorance  became  sore  and 
sensitive  on  account  of  supposed  neglect. 

Their  worship  was  not  of  the  silent  sort.  Cries 
of  "  Dat's  de  truff,"  "  Yes,  Lord,"  "  Hallelujah," 
"  Bless  de  Lord"  were  frequently  heard  from  all 
parts  of  the  house,  especially  from  "  de  amen 
cornder. ' '  They  had  a  peculiarity  in  their  worship 
I  have  never  heard  of  among  any  other  people.     It 


46  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

was  a  sort  of  humming  in  rhythmic  measure.  No 
words  were  spoken,  but  a  semivocal  sound  was 
prolonged  into  a  tune  in  which  large  numbers 
would  join.  This  frequently  ended  in  open  shouts 
and  hallelujahs. 

On  all  occasions  they  were  ready  to  "  speak  out 
in  de  meetin'."  Uncle  Sam  was  especially  noted 
in  this  regard — in  fact,  he  was  a  noted  character. 
He  was  a  stout  old  man,  of  great  dignity  of  man- 
ner and  of  excellent  character.  His  white  head 
and  massive  features  and  solemn  mien  marked  him 
as  a  patriarch  of  the  Church.  He  always  occupied 
a  prominent  seat  near  the  pulpit.  His  outspoken 
sanctions,  comments,  or  observations  were  some- 
times embarrassing,  but  most  generally  helpful  to 
the  preacher.  On  one  occasion  the  missionary 
was  dwelling  with  happy  effect  on  the  text,  "  They 
desire  a  better  country."  He  was  describing  that 
country  as  fairer  than  anything  mortal  eyes  had 
ever  beheld  when  Uncle  Sam  asked:  "  Brudder, 
who  lives  in  dat  country?  "  The  preacher  at  once 
caught  on  a  higher  strain  as  he  told  of  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  of  the  prophets,  apostles,  and 
martyrs,  of  the  great  company  which  no  man  could 
number,  of  every  nation  and  race,  including  our 
own  loved  ones  gone  before,  all  living  happily  in 
that  blessed  country.  "  What  is  all  dese  folks 
doin'  in  dat  country?"  In  response  to  this  ques- 
tion the  preacher  told  how  the  people  were  resting 
under  the  shade  of  the  trees  by  the  river  of  life ; 
how   they   were    shouting,   singing,  and    praising 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  47 

God ;  how  they  wore  the  robes  of  white  and  waved 
the  palms  of  victory  over  sin  and  sorrow.  "  Is  dat 
a  healthy  country,  brudder?  "  The  preacher  re- 
plied: "No  doctors  in  that  country;  nobody  was 
ever  sick  there.  There  never  was  a  funeral  in  that 
country,  and  never  will  be.  Those  who  live  there 
will  live  forever."  "Now,  brudder,  please  tell 
us,"  the  old  negro's  lips  quivered  as  he  asked  the 
question,  "Now,  brudder,  please  tell  us,  can  a 
poor  man  what  ain't  got  no  money  git  a  home  in 
dat  country?"  This  question  was  too  much  for 
the  audience  and  almost  upset  the  preacher.  Feel- 
ing had  grown  m.ore  intense  with  each  question  and 
answer.  It  now  reached  white  heat.  The  preacher 
could  scarcely  keep  control  of  his  congregation  or 
himself  while  he  explained  that  homes  were  ob- 
tained in  that  country  without  money  and  without 
price. 

The  scene  that  follov/ed  is  not  easily  described. 
It  was  one  in  which  intense  feeling  found  expres- 
sion in  motion  and  noise.  By  stamping  or  patting 
with  the  feet  on  the  floor,  and  striking  the  benches 
with  the  hands,  a  constant  noise  was  kept  up.  All 
this  racket  seemed  naturally  to  fall  into  measured 
time  and  rhythmic  flow,  in  exact  accord  with  the 
feeling  of  the  occasion.  They  had  music  in  their 
souls,  and  every  motion  fell  into  that  line.  All 
over  the  house  nodding  heads  kept  time  to  the  song 
of  the  soul.  Several  women  were  up  jumping  and 
shouting,  but  this  seemed  to  bring  no  disturbance 
to  the  harmony  of  the   occasion.     Two  or  three 


48  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

Strong  men  sprang  up  and  threw  themselves  reck- 
lessly backward  into  the  audience,  but  were  caught 
by  strong  hands,  so  that  no  one  was  hurt. 

This  exercise  was  followed  by  a  more  subdued 
feeling,  more  calm  and  mellowed  expressions. 
Just  at  this  time  a  party  struck  up  a  lively  air — a 
real  dancing  tune.  Several  women  sprang  to  their 
feet  and  danced  to  the  music  in  a  manner  that 
would  have  been  no  disgrace  to  one  of  Long  Jim's 
moonlight  performances.  Aunt  Lizzie,  the  very 
woman  who  said  Long  Jim  was  "  leadin'  de  young 
niggers  to  'struction,"  was  one  of  the  dancers.  I 
do  not  know  how  she  would  have  explained  the 
matter.  She  would  probably  have  said:  "  Dat 
was  de  debil's  work,  and  dis  is  de  Lord's  sarvice." 

It  was  quite  the  fashion  for  the  young  couples  on 
the  place  to  marry  in  the  church.  There  was  a 
very  awkward,  gawky  fellow  by  the  name  of  Ike. 
Ike  wore  a  skin  that  must  have  received  the  last 
shade  of  the  dark  continent.  Its  glossy  finish  was 
a  sufficient  evidence  of  its  purity.  Ike  was  not  de- 
ficient in  features,  especially  as  to  nose  and  lips. 
One  thing  redeemed  him  from  ugliness,  and  that 
was  his  pearly  white  teeth.  Altogether  he  did 
not  seem  to  be  very  taking.  But  considering  the 
strange  freaks  of  a  woman's  love,  it  is  not  very 
surprising  that  Ike  succeeded  in  winning  the  hand 
of  a  very  plump,  saucy-looking  girl  of  eighteen 
summers.  As  usual,  the  wedding  was  appointed  for 
Sunday  afternoon.  Ike  seemed  even  more  awk- 
ward at  the  hymeneal  altar.     When  the  preacher 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  49 

ended  the  ceremony  by  which  the  twain  were 
made  one,  Ike  stood  with  his  big  Hps  sprung  apart 
and  was  at  a  loss  how  to  act.  His  big  hands 
seemed  to  be  wonderfully  in  his  way.  His  big 
feet  looked  like  they  were  glued  to  the  floor.  The 
suspense  was  biting,  but  was  soon  broken  by  a 
lusty  voice  from  the  audience:  "Why  don't  you 
salute  de  bride,  nigger?  "  This  was  the  signal  for 
a  general  laugh  and  much  handshaking.  And  the 
meeting  broke  up  in  great  good  humor. 

John  was  at  times  strangely  eloquent.  Consid- 
ering that  he  was  a  regular  field  hand,  doing  full 
work  every  day  in  the  week,  I  was  astoni-shed  at 
the  way  he  could  preach  on  Sunday.  I  was  the 
more  interested  in  him  because  he  used  to  want  me 
to  read  the  Bible  to  him.  I  have  often  heard  him 
make  the  most  effective  use  of  the  very  passages 
he  lear'ned  from  my  reading.  On  one  occasion  in 
particular  he  seemed  almost  like  one  inspired.  It 
was  Sunday  afternoon.  All  the  people  were  out, 
and  many  from  the  neighboring  plantations  were 
present.  It  was  an  important  funeral  occasion. 
A  very  good  man  on  the  place  had  died.  The 
name  of  the  man  was  Tom.  As  he  came  from 
the  Weaver  estate,  he  was  called  Tom  Weaver  to 
distinguish  him  from  another  Tom  on  the  place. 

I  give  only  the  concluding  part  of  the  sermon. 
Excitement  was  running  high  as  the  preacher 
reached  the  peroration : 

"  Ole  Massa  above  is  callin'  us  home.  ["Yes, 
Lord."]  Tom  Weaver's  done  hyerd  dat  call  an' 
4 


50  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

gone.  ["Yes,  Lord."]  He's  nomoregwine  tode 
fiel's  at  daylight;  but  is  singin'  an'  shoutin'  all  day 
among  de  angels  an'  tellin'  how  Jesus  helped  his 
po'  soul  outen  de  sinful  worl'.  ["  Truff,  Lord, 
hallelujah  !  "]  Night  afore  las'  Sis'  Lizzie  an'  me 
was  down  to  Tom's  house,  an'  Tom  says  to  me: 
'  Brudder  John,  I's  almos'  home.  [Audible  cry- 
ing.] I  wants  you  an'  Sis'  Lizzie  to  pray  to  Jesus 
to  help  me  ober  de  ribber.'  Hit  was  pas'  midnight, 
an'  de  candle  was  a  burnin'  dimlike  on  de  hath, 
and  Sis'  Lizzie  an'  me  we  got  down  an'  we  prayed 
an'  prayed,  an'  de  Holy  Ghos'  jes'  come  down  in 
our  souls.  [Cries  of  "Bless  de  Lord!"]  An' Tom 
he  lifts  his  han'  all  a  tremblin'  an'  p'inted  right  up 
toward  heben.  We  knowed  de  Lord  was  a 
comin'  for  Tom.  Sis'  Lizzie  she  fetch  de  candle, 
an'  sich  eyes  as  Tom  did  have !  He  looked  like 
he  was  a  lookin'  right  up  inter  glory.  ["  Bless  de 
Lord!"]  An'  hit  appeared  dat  de  chariot  ob  de 
Lord  come  right  down  in  dat  cabin  and  Tom  went 
up  to  glory.  [Cries  of  "  Hallelujah !"]  Bless  de 
Lord,  I's  been  happy  eber  since  dat  night.  [Gen- 
eral shouting;  but  the  preacher  rose  above  the 
noise  and  continued.]  Tom's  an  angel  now. 
["Dat's  so;  bless  de  Lord!"]  Jes'  look  at  him 
ober  dare!"  The  preacher  seemed  rapt  as  see- 
ing the  invisible,  and  pointing  the  way  his  eyes 
were  looking  he  repeated:  "Jes'  look  at  him  ober 
dare  !"  He's  a  lookin'  right  up  in  de  face  of  Jesus 
an'  singin'  de  song  ob  Moses  an'  de  Lam'.  ["  Hal- 
lelujah ! "  ]     Dis  [pointing  toward  the  corpse]  is  not 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  5I 

Tom  Weaver.  Dis  is  de  ole  hull  arter  de  cotton  is 
done  picked  out.  ["Dat's  de  truff !"]  Tom's  up 
yonder !  [*'  Pointing  again  toward  the  invisible."] 
How  his  face  do  shine  !  Dat  looks  like  Tom  when 
all  de  sin  an'  sorrow  an'  crime  has  done  been  taken 
f'om  him.  Dat's  Tom,  done  changed  to  an  angel. 
["Glory!  glory!  glory!"]  Dis  [pointing  to  the 
corpse]  is  Tom's  ole  cabin  lef  down  here  for  de 
Lord  to  make  a  mansion  outen.  [Shouting  all  over 
the  house.  But  above  the  roar  of  the  shouts  of  vic- 
tory the  preacher's  voice  rang  out  clear  and  distinct 
like  bugle  notes  as  he  continued.]  Dat  is  Tom 
Weaver  [still  pointing  to  the  invisible]  wearin'  de 
crown  ob  glory.  See  dat  harp  in  his  han' !  Don' 
you  see  he  favors  Jesus?  Jes'  see  him  wave  dat 
palm!  Shout  on,  Tom.  Dese  ole  ban's  o'  mine 
will  arter  awhile  grasp  a  harp  an'  wave  a  palm ! 
Yes,  bless  de  Lord,  I's  comin'. 

Sink  down  ye  separatin'  hills, 

Let  sin  an'  death  remove, 
'Tis  love  that  drives  my  chariot  wheels, 

An'  death  mus'  yiel'  to  love." 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  excitement  mel- 
lowed down.  Then  the  honored  negro  was  laid  to 
rest  in  the  silent  grave,  and  the  mourners,  in  the 
dusk  of  evening,  returned  to  their  quarters. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
In  the  Kitchen. 

WAS  ever  a  boy  raised  who  did  not  love  the 
kitchen  ?  As  well  try  to  find  a  magnet  with- 
out polarity.  The  magnetic  part  of  boy  is  his  stom- 
ach, and  it  is  as  true  to  the  kitchen  as  the  needle 
to  the  pole.  I  feel  the  need  of  some  domestic  muse 
to  sing  the  charms  and  the  mysteries  of  my  mother's 
kitchen.  But  from  the  "  vasty  deep "  or  else- 
where the  Muses  come  not  to  the  hapless  man  who 
has  no  voice  to  sing.  Therefore,  in  prosaic  pe- 
riods, I  must  tell  of  the  scenes  which  so  often  min- 
istered soothing  palliatives  to  my  tender  youth. 

Than  a  growing  boy  no  animal  on  earth  can,  on 
short  notice,  get  up  an  appetite  of  keener  edge; 
such  appetites  without  a  kitchen  would  be  a  calam- 
ity. And  a  kitchen  without  appetites  would  be 
useless.  Appetites  and  kitchens  fit  each  other  like 
framework  dovetailed  together.  In  most  things  we 
are  coworkers  with  the  divine  nature.  So  in  this 
case;  God  gives  the  appetite;  man  or  woman  has 
devised  the  kitchen.  But  a  hungry  boy  has  no 
time  for  such  speculations.  However  crooked  in 
his  ways,  he  is  always  straightforward  in  his  route 
to  the  kitchen.  However  tardy  his  disposition  or 
his  feet  in  the  path  of  parental  requirements,  he  is 
ever  prompt  to  obey  the  calls  of  hunger. 
(52) 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD    SOUTH.  53 

But  the  boy  is  not  alone  in  his  weakness  on  the 
side  next  to  the  kitchen.  It  is  a  trite,  but  alas! 
too  often  it  is  a  true  saying,  that  the  nearest  course 
to  a  man's  heart  is  by  way  of  his  stomach.  The 
man  of  splendid  dinners  is  apt  to  be  popular. 
Many  schemes  of  state  policy  have  ridden  into 
favor  on  roast  meat  and  blushing  wine.  Puncture 
human  nature  anywhere,  and  the  cuticle  of  selfish- 
ness is  the  first  thing  you  touch.  And  of  all  the 
component  parts  of  that  wonderful  nature  this  cuti- 
cle is  the  most  sensitive.  The  nerves  not  only  of 
appetite,  but  of  pride,  ambition,  greed,  lust,  and 
love,  spread  themselves  there  into  an  intertwining 
network  so  compact  that  not  even  the  needle  points 
of  honor  and  justice  can  penetrate  without  a  sense 
of  pain ! 

But  I  am  moralizing  away  from  the  kitchen. 
Grand  old  kitchen !  Memory  stands  with  bared 
head  and  bending  form  looking  through  a  wreath 
of  smiles,  down  the  aisle  of  years  gone  by,  to  the 
picture  of  my  childhood's  happy  hours  in  the  dear 
old  kitchen !  Aunt  Daphne,  black,  fat,  and  jolly, 
with  laughing  face,  was  the  presiding  genius. 
There  is  the  fireplace  with  its  immense  wood  fire. 
In  one  corner  stands  the  iron  crane  ready  to  swing 
the  "  pots  "  on  and  off  the  fire.  On  the  long  side 
table  are  two  whole  pigs  thoroughly  roasted,  each 
with  a  red  apple  in  its  mouth.  Two  rabbits,  each 
suspended  by  a  cord,  are  roasting  before  the  fire. 
An  attendant  is  keeping  them  saturated  with  gra\y. 
Simmering  by  the  fire  is  the  great  kettle  containing 


5  I-  SAM    WILLIAMS  : 

a  meat  pie  nearly  large  enough  to  feed  a  regiment. 
Great  "pones"  of  light  bread  are  stacked  about. 
There  are  cakes  of  all  sizes  and  varieties.  Ne- 
groes great  and  small,  each  wearing  a  white  head 
cloth,  are  running  here  and  there  doing  this  and 
attending  to  that  with  an  alacrity  that  makes  labor 
a  delight.  Aunt  Daphne  sits  as  a  queen  in  her 
own  dominion  giving  orders  and  guiding  the  des- 
tinies of  things.  This  is  the  picture  of  the  reality 
I  saw  on  a  Christmas  eve  day  in  the  home  of  my 
childhood.  The  servants,  as  well  as  their  masters, 
were  to  have  a  feast  on  Christmas,  and  this  was 
the  preparation  for  the  great  occasion. 

It  was  a  day  of  great  expectations.  A  week  of 
holiday  after  the  steady  work  of  the  year  was 
something  to  be  prized.  Then  many  of  the  serv- 
ants had  reason  to  expect  additional  favors.  The 
negro's  natural  talent  for  cheerfulness  and  hilarity 
reached  its  maximum  swell  on  Christmas  eve.  At 
night  the  Christmas  frolic  began.  Long  Jim  was 
the  hero  of  the  hour.  He  knew  it,  and  magnified 
his  opportunity.  Uncle  Sam  the  patriarch,  John 
the  preacher,  and  Joe  the  exhorter  were  for  the 
time  relegated  to  places  of  honorable  retirement. 
The  young  negroes  said: 

"  We's  got  Chris'mas  in  our  bones, 
De  fiddle's  got  Chris'mas  in  its  tones." 

A  lover  of  music  might  have  gratified  two  senses 
at  once :  the  fiddle  playing  music  to  the  ear  and  the 
feet  speaking  music  to  the  eye.  The  "  sound  of 
revelry"   continued   far  into    the    night — in    fact. 


A   TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  55 

some  of  the  negroes  were  up  so  late  and  others  so 
early  there  was  scarcely  a  lull  in  the  hilarity  during 
the  whole  night. 

About  daylight  troops  of  servants  gathered  about 
"  de  big  house;"  old  reliable  hands  on  the  place 
behaving  with  the  gravity  becoming  their  position, 
young  lads  full  of  life  and  fun,  "small  fry"  leap- 
ing and  prancing  with  excess  of  joy.  A  constant 
murmur  of  suppressed  vociferation,  of  gay  and 
festive  impulses,  showed  that  they  had  come  with 
Christmas  greetings.  As  soon  as  a  door  or  window 
was  thrown  open  they  began  to  shout  "  Christmas 
gift"  to  "  ole  massa "  and  "  ole  missus,"  to 
"  young  massa "  and  "young  missus,"  and  to 
everybody  else  who  happened  to  be  present.  Gifts 
were  distributed,  while  some  of  the  older  men  and 
women  were  invited  around  to  the  closet  and 
treated  to  a  Christmas  toddy.  This  was  a  mark 
of  special  favor,  and  was  so  received. 

That  Christmas  day  the  weather  was  delightful. 
My  older  brother  and  his  wife,  my  older  sister  and 
her  husband,  with  the  little  ones  of  both  couples, 
were  on  a  visit  to  the  old  home.  It  was  to  be  a 
feast  day,  and  two  neighboring  families,  the  Aliens 
and  the  Brantletts,  had  also  been  invited  to  dine 
with  us.  I  was  glad  at  any  time  to  have  a  day  of 
pleasant  romp  with  Ben  and  Joe  Allen.  Their  sis- 
ter Minnie  was  a  pleasant  little  girl.  But  I  was 
most  delighted  that  Susie  Brantlett  was  of  the  com- 
pany; her  very  presence  was  jo}'.  Then  she  took 
it  so  much  as  a  matter  of  course  that  I  appropri- 


56  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

ated  so  much  of  her  company  to  myself.  We  chil- 
dren took  great  interest  in  all  that  was  going  on, 
especially  in  what  was  being  done  in  the  kitchen. 
Things  there  were  growing  constantly  more  to  our 
taste.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  confusion  we  could 
see  a  method  laboring  to  an  end.  These  indica- 
tions we  regarded  with  special  delight. 

A  side  table  in  the  dining  room  became  the  cen- 
ter of  attraction.  It  was  spread  with  a  cloth  of 
snowy  whiteness  and  decorated  with  flowers  from 
the  greenhouse.  A  large  China  bowl  or  tureen 
was  in  the  center  containing  a  silver  ladle.  Mam- 
my was  presiding  here,  and  officiated  with  the  dig- 
nity of  a  sibyl  offering  oblations  to  a  sylvan  deity. 
When  all  was  ready,  "  ole  massa  "  was  called  in  to 
give  final  directions.  Following  him  were  two  little 
negroes,  one  bringing  the  decanter  and  the  other  a 
basket  of  eggs.  The  design  was  evident.  The 
Christmas  eggnog  was  now  to  be  made.  The  pro- 
ceeding was  watched  with  peculiar  interest  by  all 
the  servants  who  could  venture  up  close  enough  to 
see.  The  interest  thus  manifested  was  not  without 
a  reason ;  for  on  this  annual  festival  it  was  the  cus- 
tom to  distribute  the  eggnog  among  all  the  serv- 
ants who  were  supposed  to  be  old  enough  to  love  it. 
Our  fathers  indulged  in  this  convivial  custom  with 
never  a  thought  that  they  were  sowing  the  seeds  of 
fearful  temptation  for  the  generations  following. 

We  were  all  well  pleased — especially  was  this 
true  of  my  sister  Mary — by  the  arrival  of  Will 
Benson  to  take  part  in  the  festivities.     Will  was  a 


A   TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  57 

genial,  good  fellow,  and  added  much  to  the  bon- 
homie of  any  company.  But  somehow  it  appeared 
to  me  that  he  was  not  particularly  concerned  about 
the  company  that  day. 

Keeping  an  eye  as  usual  on  the  kitchen  and  its 
annex,  the  dining  room,  we  found  that  things  there 
were  rounding  to  a  beautiful  consistency.  A  side 
table  in  the  dining  room  the  exact  image  as  to  its 
top  dressing  of  the  larger  one  was  set  for  the  chil- 
dren. We  little  men  and  women  very  keenly  ap- 
preciated this  token  of  respect.  With'  mammy  to 
wait  on  us,  and  with  Susie  by  my  side,  and  with 
little  companions  to  appreciate  the  hospitality,  it 
could  not  fail  to  be  a  high  day  with  me. 

Ours  was  not  the  home  of  oppressive  ceremony. 
From  the  times  to  which  my  memory  runs  not 
back,  three  courses  at  dinner  were  regarded  as 
amply  sufficient  for  any  occasion:  first  soup,  then 
meats  and  vegetables,  and  lastly  cake  and  fruit. 
These  courses,  with  coffee  or  milk  as  per  taste, 
enlivened  by  genial  and  general  conversation, 
made  a  meal  which  lords  and  ladies  might  have 
enjoyed. 

Next  to  enjoying  a  good  dinner  is  to  see  some 
one  else  enjoy  one.  So  when  the  company  left  the 
table,  the  ladies  to  gossip,  the  gentlemen  to  discuss 
politics,  and  Will  and  sister  to  revel  in  love's  sweet 
dreams,  we  boys  repaired  to  the  kitchen  to  enjoy 
the  relish  with  which  the  servants  received  their 
dinner.  As  they  all  could  not  eat  in  the  kitchen, 
temporary  tables  had  been  prepared  in  the  back 


58  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

yard,  and  loads  after  loads  of  provisions  were  car- 
ried out.  The  older  servants  had  charge,  and  the 
utmost  decorum  prevailed.  It  was  a  pleasure  to 
see  how  the  young  bucks  bowed  reverently  to  their 
seniors  and  anticipated  every  wish  of  the  dusky 
maidens.  They  probably  had  never  heard  of 
Cupid,  but  the  principle  represented  by  that  gay 
little  deity  was  as  active  that  day  as  he  could  have 
been  in  any  similar  assembly  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  Fewer  preliminaries  lay  in  the  way  of  con- 
summated love  with  these  than  with  any  other  peo- 
ple. Good  nature,  light-heartedness,  the  absence 
of  all  care,  the  entire  exemption  from  anxious 
thought  were  plainly  visible  in  every  face. 

The  perfect  picture  of  placid  contentment  which 
has  clung  to  memory  through  all  these  years  was 
presented  by  old  Mike.  He  was  a  large,  good- 
natured  old  fellow,  evidently  the  man  to  enjoy  a 
good  dinner  and  a  good  rest  after  it  was  eaten. 
The  dinner  he  had  enjoyed.  To  make  it  more 
complete,  it  had  been  spiced  with  a  cup  of  good 
coffee.  He  had  managed  to  save  over  his  mug  of 
eggnog,  or,  which  is  more  probable,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a  second  supply.  He  was  sitting 
in  his  chair  with  his  chest  thrown  back,  one  leg 
stretched  out  at  full  length,  while  a  permanent 
smile  rested  on  his  placid  countenance.  Saying 
but  little  while  hilarity  was  holding  high  carnival 
around  him,  he  was  sipping  the  delightful  beverage 
in  a  way  to  prolong  the  taste.  It  was  not  in  his 
nature  to  sigh  for  a  long  neck,  but  he  did  the  more 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  59 

sensible  thing  of  lengthening  out  the  potations. 
He  was  the  very  expression  of  contentment. 

"  Hello,  Uncle  Mike,"  said  a  pert  youngster,  "is 
yer  gwine  ter  git  tipsy  on  yer  eggnog?  " 

"  Go  on,  nigger,"  was  Uncle  Mike's  reply, "  you 
ain'  wuff  a  ni'  pence  nohow;"  and  with  this  good- 
natured  thrust  Uncle  Mike's  face  lighted  up  with 
a  still  richer  glow  of  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Care  of  the  Sick. 

THE  negroes  were  a  remarkably  healthy  race. 
T  he  invalid  was  practically  unknown.  They 
frequently  had  colds  in  winter,  but  consumption 
was  very  rarely  found.  Their  diseases  were  most- 
ly the  result  of  a  malarious  climate.  The  soil  was 
full  of  kumusy  rich  and  moist,  and  produced  chills 
with  nearly  as  much  certainty  as  it  produced  cot- 
ton. But  the  chills  were  usually  of  a  mild  type 
and  easily  cured.  The  negroes  were  substantially 
fed,  comfortably  clothed,  and  had  prompt  medical 
attention  when  needed.  Such  conditions,  with  the 
absence  of  care,  were  conducive  to  health.  Nev- 
ertheless the  country  practitioner  was  a  familiar 
personage  in  the  quarters.  He  was  promptly  called 
when  a  case  seemed  to  be  serious. 

It  was  father's  rule  to  see  that  the  hands  had 
proper  attention  when  sick.  The  milder  cases 
were  attended  to  without  the  aid  of  a  physician, 
as  father  had  from  long  experience  become  ex- 
pert in  the  management  of  ordinary  diseases. 
Much  of  his  success  was  due  to  faithful  nursing. 
He  would  rise  at  any  time  of  night,  if  necessary, 
to  see  that  medicines  were  properly  given.  A 
supply  of  drugs  was  always  on  hand,  so  that  in 
cases  of  emergency,  as  well  as  in  milder  attacks 
(60) 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD    SOUTH. 


6l 


of  sickness,  suffering  might  be  relieved.  Both 
humanity  and  pecuniary  interest  prompted  to  this 
course. 

Many  of  my  errands  to  the  quarters  were  in  the 
interest  of  the  sick.  I  was  sent  to  carry  simple 
remedies  or  to  inquire  about  a  patient.  Many 
were  the  profound,  if  not  wise,  discourses  and 
dark  intimations  to  which  I  have  listened  concern- 
ing diseases,  and  their  causes  and  cures.  There 
was  a  strong  tendency  among  the  negroes  to  be 
fatalists.  Calamities  came  by  divine  appointment. 
Disease  and  death  were  unalterably  fixed  in  the 
plans  of  Providence.  The  negroes  rarely  ever 
looked  to  imprudence  or  local  causes  to  account 
for  these  things.  God  willed  it  so,  and  they  could 
only  submit. 

But  there  was  a  class  of  diseases,  so  the  negroes 
thought,  that  was  not  in  the  order  of  God's  provi- 
dence; disease  not  reached  by  the  doctor's  med- 
icine. Man  was  to  a  great  extent,  through  some 
evil  influence,  responsible  for  much  of  the  discom- 
fort to  which  man  is  liable.  The  old  superstition 
of  the  evil  eye  seemed  to  be  rife  among  them. 
Alf  said:  "  No  sooner' n  ole  Ned  looked  at  me,  I 
felt  de  pains  in  de  hip  j'ints."  This  is  but  a  sam- 
ple case.  They  believed  in  a  sort  of  witchcraft 
known  as  "conjuring."  Some  people,  so  they 
thought,  had  the  power  of  producing  spells.  This 
was  accomplished  in  some  profoundly  mysterious 
way  by  a  mummery  of  senseless  words  over  a  rab- 
bit's foot,  a  snake's  head,  or  certain  bones  of  an 


62  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

animal.  When  one  felt  sick  and  did  not  know  what 
was  the  matter,  he  was  apt  to  conclude  he  was 
"tricked."  This  led  to  many  broils  and  many 
estrangements.  So  true  is  it  that  imaginary  ills 
make  up  no  inconsiderable  part  of  those  that  flesh 
is  heir  to. 

Some  of  the  negroes  encouraged  a  belief  in  their 
supernatural  power.  True,  that  made  them  ob- 
jects of  suspicion  and  aversion.  But  they  were 
feared ;  were  often  a  cause  of  terror.  The  innate 
love  of  power  asserted  itself.  We  all  have  a  nat- 
ural longing  for  a  connection  with  the  invisible 
and  spiritual.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  negro 
race.  This  feeling  usually  led  to  noble  aspirations 
for  communion  with  God.  But  a  few  turned  to 
the  darkly  mysterious,  and  hence  here  and  there 
a  man  or  woman  was  found  carrying  about  some 
mysterious  charms,  as  heads  of  snakes  or  lizards, 
or  the  bones  and  feet  of  some  small  animal. 

And  many  were  their  victims,  and  strange  were 
their  complaints.  Those  who  imagined  themselves 
affected  could  feel  lizards  and  scorpions  and  even 
huge  serpents  crawling  through  their  bodies.  I 
remember  one  man  of  robust  frame  and  ordinary 
intelligence,  pointing  to  his  large  forearm,  and 
telling  me  that  he  saw  a  snake  come  down  his 
arm  just  under  the  skin.  It  came  down  to  his 
wrist  and  then  doubled  back  and  crawled  away 
into  his  body.  I  questioned  him  closely,  and  he 
said  that  he  actually  saw  and  felt  the  snake.  It 
was  some  three  feet  long  and  an  inch  In  diameter. 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD    SOUTH.  63 

and  it  was  at  that  very  time  running  riot  in  every 
part  of  his  body.  Another  negro,  a  blacksmith,  a 
man  of  more  intelligence  than  an  ordinary  field 
hand,  said  that  he  had  no  doubt  these  things  were 
so.  He  had  been  troubled  himself.  He  just  the 
other  day  while  at  work  drew  his  hand  across  his 
forehead  to  wipe  away  the  "  sweat,"  and  brushed 
a  full-grown  lizard  from  his  brow.  He  could  not 
be  mistaken,  he  said,  for  he  saw  it  plainly  when  it 
fell  to  the  ground.  It  remained  in  sight  but  for 
an  instant,  but  long  enough  for  him  to  get  a  good 
look  at  it,  These  superstitions  were  realities  to 
them.  The  least  encouragement  would  lead  them 
on  to  tell  a  whole  train  of  evils,  evils  no  less  af- 
flictive because  imaginary.  It  is  one  of  the  great 
blessings  of  enlightenment  that  we  get  rid  of  so 
many  imaginary  ills.  How  many  yet  remain,  even 
among  educated  people ! 

Superstitious  diseases  called  for  superstitious 
remedies.  Rabbit  foot  against  rabbit  foot.  Cer- 
tain persons  had  power  to  remove  "spells." 
There  were  always  "  spells"  to  be  removed,  and 
some  of  the  cures  were  marvelous.  Thus  a  double 
practice  went  on  in  the  quarters.  The  man  of  sci- 
ence looked  at  the  tongue,  felt  the  pulse,  and 
measured  his  powders  or  applied  his  opodeldoc. 
The  man,  or  oftener  the  woman,  of  superstition 
mumbled  over  the  lizard  heads,  spoke  unmeaning 
words,  and  looked  mysterious.  Cures  generally 
followed  in  either  case. 

With  what    tenacity   superstition   clings    to    the 


64  SAM    WILLIAMS  : 

mind !  It  is  like  some  indelible  tracery  on  fine 
linen,  which,  after  many  efforts  to  remove,  may  still 
be  dimly  seen.  Reason  did  not  avail.  The  more 
I  argued  the  more  they  asserted.  What  they  had 
felt  and  seen  with  confidence  they  told.  Ridicule 
was  better.  The  man  who  gets  the  laugh  on  his 
side  has  more  than  half  gained  the  victory.  But 
victories  over  superstition  are  apt  to  be  temporary. 
When  the  mind  settles  back  to  its  normal  quietude, 
the  dark  streaks,  though  dim,  are  still  to  be  found 
there.  The  stern  authority  of  the  master  was  best 
of  all.  That  at  least  stopped  the  complaints.  Fa- 
ther had  no  patience  with  such  folly. 

Amusing  instances  sometimes  occurred.  One 
day  Short  Jim  came  in  with  the  backache.  It  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  busiest  season.  This  was  nat- 
ural: aches  have  a  tendency  to  assert  themselves 
at  such  times.  The  case  was  duly  reported  at  the 
house,  and  father  went  down.  As  I  had  no  im- 
portant engagements  just  at  that  time,  I  followed 
after  him.  Jim  was  a  short,  fat  young  fellow,  the 
very  picture  of  health.  I  stopped  by  the  way  and 
asked  Aunt  Lizzie  what  was  the  matter  with  Jim. 
Emphasizing  her  opinion  in  advance  by  a  very  sig- 
nificant grunt,  she  replied:  "  Dat  nigger  is  jes 
possomin."  I  found  Jim  doing  some  very  osten- 
tatious grunting.  Father's  manner  was  very  much 
in  accord  with  Aunt  Lizzie's  opinion.  Fortunate- 
ly, for  aches  father  had  one  great  remedy — that 
was  the  Jew  David  plaster.  Jew  David  was  the 
specific  in  all  backaches,  sideaches,  and  aches  in 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  65 

general.  Everything  but  the  toothache.  This 
plaster  came  on  in  little  tin  boxes,  and  had  to  be 
heated  and  spread  on  a  cloth  to  be  used.  Jew 
David  had  at  least  one  noble  quality,  the  same 
which  a  presiding  elder  so  highly  prized  in  some 
of  his  preachers :  stickability.  It  settled  down 
with  an  air  of  something  that  had  come  to  stay. 
Be  it  said  to  its  praise:  it  "sticks  to  its  business." 
Faithfulness  was  probably  not  its  only  virtue,  but 
it  was  certainly  one  of  the  chief. 

Father  always  went  about  the  preparation  of  the 
plaster  with  the  manner  of  a  man  who  knew  that 
he  was  doing  the  proper  thing.  There  was  an  air 
of  precision  and  alacrity.  He  knew  exactly  how 
it  should  be  done.  I  remember  so  well  how  he 
placed  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  left  hand 
on  opposite  corners  of  the  cloth,  and  then,  with 
knife  in  exact  position,  the  hot  plaster  was  taken 
from  the  box  and  spread.  He  said  that  the  plaster 
should  be  applied  hot.  Heat  was  a  great  advan- 
tage. The  plaster  stuck  better,  and  was  more  ef- 
fective. If  it  blistered,  all  the  better.  That  was 
counter  irritation,  and  counter  irritation  was  the 
thing.  If  the  plaster  blistered,  it  also  cured  the 
blister  by  excluding  the  air.  Well,  the  plaster  was 
prepared  in  due  form,  and  heated  to  a  pitch  every 
way  satisfactory.  Jim  was  ready,  so  there  was  no 
loss  of  caloric  in  transit  from  fire  to  back.  The 
effect  was  magical!  Jim's  exclamation,  "  O  mas- 
sa  !  "  would  require  at  least  five  exclamation  points 
to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  surprise  it  ex- 
5 


SAM    WILLIAMS. 


pressed.  But  his  right  hand  was  still  more  de- 
monstrative. Catching  the  plaster  by  one  corner, 
he  snatched  it  entirely  off.  It  fairly  popped  as  it 
loosened  its  hold.  Now  father  did  not  like  trifling 
where  Jew  David  was  concerned.  So,  reaching 
for  a  shingle,  he  gave  Jim  a  few  lively  spanks 
which  restored  him  to  calmness  and  reason. 

Jim  said  that  he  was  entirely  well,  never  felt  bet- 
ter, and  was  only  too  anxious  to  go  to  work.  But 
father  quietly  remarked  that  the  plaster  would  keep 
him  well.  It  was  duly  heated  again,  and  Jim  re- 
ceived it  meekly,  and  went  cheerfully  to  work.  It 
was  evidently  his  first  experience  with  the  plaster, 
and  was  likely  to  be  the  last  for  some  time.  The 
negroes  were  wonderfully  interested  in  Jim's  back- 
ache. For  several  weeks  they  scarcely  missed  an 
opportunity  to  ask  him  about  his  back.  I  think 
the  back  got  to  be  a  sore  subject  with  Jim.  But 
somehow  it  seemed  to  afford  a  good  deal  of  amuse- 
ment to  the  others.  In  this  case,  as  in  many  oth- 
ers, Jew  David  maintained  its  high  reputation.  The 
cure  was  instantaneous  and  permanent. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The    Funeral . 

ONE  day  the  quiet  of  our  homes  was  disturbed 
by  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  bringing  news 
that  Mr.  Webb  was  very  sick.  tJncle  George  was 
ordered  to  get  the  carriage  ready,  and  mother  took 
me  and  went  over.  When  we  arrived,  we  found 
some  of  the  neighbors  already  in  attendance.  Two 
doctors  were  present,  the  servants  moved  about 
with  anxious  faces,  spoke  in  low  tones,  and  went 
on  tiptoe  when  they  had  occasion  to  enter  the 
chamber  of  the  sick.  Mrs.  Webb  was  completely 
broken  down  with  apprehension.  All  indications 
pointed  to  the  worst.  When  I  fully  comprehended 
the  situation,  a  chill  of  gloom  came  over  me.  I 
had  never  before  been  so  near  face  to  face  with 
the  grim  monster.  By  the  bedside  of  the  sick  man 
stood  his  faithful  old  foreman,  Uncle  Ephriam, 
anxious  to  anticipate  every  wish  in  his  power  to 
alleviate  his  master's  suffering.  The  servants  were 
all  attentive,  grief -stricken,  and  seemed  anxious  to 
be  told  to  do  something;  so  solicitous  were  they 
to  assist,  if  possible,  in  turning  aside  a  calamity  so 
much  dreaded. 

As  it  was  not  necessary  for  mother  to  sit  up,  we 
returned  home  in  the  evening;  but  continued  our 
visits  every  day.     The  members  of  the  family  met 

(67) 


68  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

the  emergency  by  all  the  tender  and  soothing  at- 
tentions which  love  and  veneration  could  suggest. 
This  was  natural,  and  was  to  be  expected.  But  I 
was  deeply  impressed  with  the  solicitude  manifested 
by  the  servants.  They  were  of  a  different  race, 
occupied  the  place  of  menials,  and  held  in  perpet- 
ual servitude  by  a  force  they  were  unable  to  resist. 
Now  the  very  man  who  more  immediately  repre- 
sented that  force  to  them,  and  in  whose  service 
they  had  grown  up  from  infancy,  was  passing 
away.  I  doubt  whether  any  of  them  would  have 
been  more  concerned  if  one  of  the  dearest  of  their 
own  kindred  had  been  about  to  die. 

The  third  day  there  was  apparently  a  change  for 
the  better.  The  sign  of  hope  was  plainly  visible 
on  the  faces  of  all  the  servants,  even  more  than 
upon  those  of  the  whites.  It  looked  like  a  bright 
morning  was  about  to  dawn  after  a  night  of  ter- 
rors. Old  Ephriam  looked  almost  rejuvenated. 
But  the  hopes  of  the  faithful  old  servant  were  of 
short  duration.  That  night  a  change  for  the 
worse  was  so  decided  that  death  ensued  before 
morning. 

The  day  following  was  one  of  great  sadness. 
The  servants  were  almost  in  despair.  Their  loss 
was  truly  great.  The  loss  of  a  good  master  was 
about  the  greatest  loss  a  slave  could  sustain.  The 
expression  of  mingled  grief  and  anxiety  so  visible 
on  every  face  made  a  lasting  impression  on  my 
mind.  Their  grief  was  genuine;  their  anxiety 
was  not  without  cause.     They  loved  their  master. 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  69 

His  death  had  touched  the  wellspring,  and  every 
wrong  had  been  forgiven  and  every  complaint  for- 
gotten. They  followed  him  to  the  grave  with  a 
sorrow  that  was  as  real  as  it  was  pathetic.  They 
knew  full  well  that  his  death  would  bring  changes 
to  them.  The  old  home  and  the  old  associations 
would  probably  all  be  broken  up.  Relations  that 
had  subsisted  from  infancy  were  now  to  be  dis- 
solved. New  masters,  younger  and  more  vigorous, 
would  now  take  charge.  Young  masters  are  apt 
to  have  fortunes  to  make,  and  the  negroes  knew 
that  the  making  would  be  required  of  them.  It 
was  therefore  natural  that  anxiety  should  mingle 
with  their  sorrow*  I  was  also  impressed  with  the 
simplicity  of  their  trust  in  an  overruling  Provi- 
dence, and  with  what  promptness  and  force  their 
religious  convictions  came  to  their  support  in  this 
hour  of  distress. 

But  while  I  was  musing  upon  these  things,  my 
spirit  shadowed  by  the  signs  and  cries  of  distress 
around  me,  a  familiar  carriage  was  drawn  up,  and 
I  saw  that  Mrs.  Brantlett  had  brought  Susie.  The 
little  creature  was  overawed  by  the  solemnity  of 
the  occasion,  and  saddened  by  the  moans  of  grief, 
but  her  presence  was  sunshine  to  me.  I  soon  con- 
trived an  excuse  for  a  walk  in  the  garden.  There, 
among  the  flowers  and  shrubbery,  gloom  and  sad- 
ness melted  away  like  snow  in  summer.  Though 
almost  in  the  very  presence  of  death,  and  still 
hearinof  the  sounds  of  sorrow  which  ever  and  anon 
came  up  from  the  quarters,  our  spirits  brightened  in 


70  SAM   WILLIAMS 

the  glow  of  life's  bright  youth  and  budding  hopes. 
Extremes  had  met.  The  winter  of  gloom  and  the 
sunshine  of  spring  lay  alongside  of  each  other. 
There  in  the  house  were  age  and  death  and  sor- 
row; here  in  the  garden  were  youth,  love,  and  joy. 
It  was  like  certain  places  in  Switzerland  where 
winter  rules  with  a  frozen  scepter  in  undisputed 
sovereignty  over  the  giant  mountains,  while  spring 
crowns  with  brightest  flowers  the  vale  below. 

'Tis  ever  thus  in  the  world's  broad  history.  The 
tears  of  sorrow  and  the  smiles  of  joy  are  bathed 
in  the  same  bright  sunshine  and  fanned  by  the 
same  gentle  breeze.  The  wedding  march  and  the 
funeral  procession  often  keep  step  to  the  same 
strain  of  nature's  music. 

But  the  hour  for  interment  came,  and  we  formed 
a  procession  out  to  the  family  graveyard,  where, 
with  appropriate  ceremonies,  the  remains  were  laid 
to  rest.  Some  stout,  young  servants  came  forward 
with  spades  to  fill  the  grave.  They  looked  as  if 
they  were  burying  their  own  hopes  beneath  every 
spadeful  of  dirt.  After  the  grave  had  been  taste- 
fully decorated  with  flowers  and  evergreens,  and 
the  white  people  were  turning  slowly  and  sadly 
away,  the  servants  gathered  closely  around  the 
tomb.  Some  of  them  had  brought  flowers,  with 
which  the  freshly  raised  mound  was  strewn.  I 
was  surprised,  if  not  amused,  to  see  the  kinds  of 
flowers  they  brought.  They  were  pinks,  holly- 
hocks, poppies,  bachelor's  buttons,  and  touch-me- 
nots,  such  as  grew  around  their  cabin  doors;  but 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  7 1 

they  were  the  tributes  of  real  affection.  Others 
fell  down  in  complete  abandon  of  sorrow,  and 
some  found  relief  in  tears.  Some  were  praying 
aloud,  and  others  with  silent  grief.  After  awhile 
they  seemed  to  find  some  relief  in  singing  a  song 
peculiarly  pathetic  and  sadly  appropriate.  One 
stanza  of  that  song  I  now  remember: 

Down  in  de  co'n  fiel', 

Hear  dat  mo'nful  soun'; 
All  de  darkies  am  a  weepin': 

Massa's  in  be  col',  col'  groun'. 


CHAPTER  XL 
Attending  Church. 

ONE  Saturday  our  family  was  thrown  into  a  flut- 
ter of  delightful  expectancy  by  a  visit  from 
the  pastor,  who  informed  us  that  the  bishop,  in  pass- 
ing, would  spend  a  couple  of  days  at  our  house, 
and  would  also  preach  at  Conway's  Chapel  to- 
morrow. As  we  had  never  had  the  honor  of  en- 
tertaining one  of  our  bishops,  this  was  rare  news, 
and  at  once  rare  preparations  were  made  to  re- 
ceive the  distinguished  guests.  I  say  guests  be- 
cause the  bishop  was  accompanied  by  another  dis- 
tinguished preacher,  who  was  looking  after  some 
important  interest  of  the  Church.  The  great  sim- 
plicity, the  air  of  homelike  familiarity,  and  father- 
ly bearing  with  which  they  entered  our  home  put 
every  one  of  us  at  ease.  We  at  once  grouped 
about  them  in  the  attitude  of  listeners,  while  they 
did  the  talking,     And  such  talking ! 

Their  stay  at  our  house  was  to  me  an  intellect- 
ual epoch.  It  was  the  uplifting  of  the  soul;  a 
clearing  of  the  mental  vision ;  an  expanding  of  the 
imagination !  They  were  acquainted  with  every 
part  of  the  Church.  They  talked  about  the  work 
along  all  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries ;  along 
the  Alleghanies;  on  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts. 
(72) 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  73 

They  had  been  much  among  the  Indians.  Many- 
were  the  incidents  related  in  the  lives  of  these 
strange  people.  The  bishop  had  even  been  to 
California,  following  the  people  in  their  mad  rush 
for  gold.  To  see  and  hear  a  man  who  had  been 
to  that  distant  countr}'-  was  about  like  contact 
with  a  being  from  another  sphere.  The  bishop 
had  gone  by  water,  and  this  added  rnuch  to  the 
interest  of  the  narrative.  They  talked  about  the 
mission  in  China,  and  the  prospect  of  converting 
the  world  to  Christ.  Such  comprehensive  views 
I  had  never  before  heard.  Here  was  a  man  at  the 
center  of  a  mighty  movement,  planning,  thinking, 
and  working  for  the  good  of  others.  In  my  imag- 
ination I  could  see  the  preachers  of  his  appoint- 
ment following  the  settlers  into  every  part  of  the 
great  West,  while  they  were  holding  forth  the  bea- 
con lights  of  knowledge  to  the  people  in  the  East, 
and  seeking  the  salvation  of  the  slaves  on  the  rice, 
cotton,  and  sugar  plantations  of  the  South.  They 
were  penetrating  the  forest  to  the  homes  of  men 
who  had  settled  in  the  lonely  swamps  or  pitched 
their  habitations  on  the  rugged  mountains.  Wheth- 
er the  people  were  white  or  black  or  red,  wheth- 
er they  lived  in  pleasant  homes  or  in  huts  or  in  wig- 
wams, whether  they  were  intelligent  or  ignorant, 
whether  they  were  refined  or  rude,  with  the  same 
untiring  zeal  they  were  sought  and  instructed. 

I  could  see  that  here  was  a  system  that  worked ; 
that  was  forceful,  elastic,  and  far-reaching.  Here 
were  men  in  vast  numbers,  moved  by  a  common 


74  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

impulse,  ready  to  go,  and  go  cheerfully,  anywhere ; 
to  follow  Indian  trails  or  take  their  way  through 
the  trackless  forest,  to  swim  rivers,  to  sleep  in  huts 
or  camp  in  the  woods;  to  brave  diseases  or  the 
skulking  savages,  to  endure  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  every  kind ;  yea,  to  defy  death  itself  that 
they  might  accomplish  their  important  mission. 
Vital  in  every  fiber  of  the  movement  was  a  pow- 
er to  command  the  allegiance  and  inspire  the 
energies  of  the  soul.  It  was  an  organized  force 
against  ignorance  and  wrong,  and  instinct  with  an 
uplifting  and  cleansing  power.  It  appeared  to  me 
that  no  President  could  command  such  service, 
and  no  king  could  count  on  such  fidelity.  Here  was 
life  full  of  purpose ;  it  was  life  worth  living.  Such 
was  the  impression  that  these  kindly,  fatherly  men 
made  on  my  mind.  Their  conversation  was  full 
of  reminiscence,  full  of  hope,  and  richly  spiced 
with  anecdotes.  They  seemed  so  kindly  dis- 
posed, so  ready  to  talk,  so  gentle  and  persuasive 
in  manner  that  I  ventured  a  question  or  two. 
The  dignified  simplicity  with  which  they  con- 
descended to  my  young  capacity  was  truly  grat- 
ifying, and,  as  I  have  since  learned  to  appreciate 
things,  a  most  decided  evidence  of  true  great- 
ness. That  visit  has  been  to  me  an  intellectual 
and  moral  benediction. 

Sunday  morning  Uncle  George  brought  out  the 
carriage  in  more  than  the  usual  good  trim.  The 
horses  were  of  fine  appearance,  and  had  those  qual- 
ities so  highl}^  prized:  mettle  and  bottom.     Every 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  75 

movement  showed  that  they  had  been  well  kept 
and  properly  groomed.  Every  planter  prided  him- 
self on  the  good  qualities  of  his  carriage  horses. 
The  carriage  of  that  day  has  long  been  extinct. 
Then  it  was  a  badge  of  respectability,  and  indica- 
ted some  degree  of  wealth.  Nearly  every  family 
in  good  circumstances  had  one.  They  were  cost- 
ly concerns,  many  of  them  costing  as  much  as 
their  drivers.  Ours  cost  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars.  In  general  shape  it  w^as  something  like  a 
steamboat  on  wheels.  It  was  rounded  in  the  front 
and  at  the  rear,  and  the  bottom  sloped  up  at  each 
end  as  if  intended  for  the  water.  Then  the  top 
was  oval,  so  as  to  shed  water  every  way  from  the 
center,  very  much  after  the  style  of  the  covering 
on  boats.  Trusting  entirely  to  memory,  I  judge  that 
the  "ladies'  cabin"  was  about  six  feet  long,  and 
four  feet  wide,  and  five  feet  from  floor  to  ceiling. 
It  was  entered  from  either  side,  by  a  door.  Each 
door  had  a  large  panel  of  glass  to  admit  the  light. 
In  the  front  and  rear  were  mirrors  fixed  in  the 
wall,  so  that  ladies  sitting  tete-a-tete  could  see 
themselves  while  riding.  The  carriage,  on  the  in- 
side, was  finely  cushioned  throughout.  Padded 
pendants  made  of  soft  material  hung  at  the  sides. 
Some  of  these  pendants  hung  in  a  loop,  and  others 
with  a  tassel.  They  were  intended  mostly  for  or- 
nament, but  might  be  used  as  supports  for  the 
hand.  The  carriage  was  a  luxury,  and  was  built 
for  elegance  and  comfort.  I  have  seen  no  palace 
car    with    finer    finish.     The    driver's    seat    was 


76  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

perched  high  on  the  front,  and  placed  the  "like- 
ly fellow  "  several  feet  above  his  horses.  George 
drew  up  in  front 'of  the  gate  in  fine  style.  With 
a  flourish  of  dignity,  he  nimbly  alighted  from  his 
place  of  honor,  opened  the  door,  and  unfolded  the 
steps.  The  steps  were  neatly  folded  up  just  inside 
the  door.  When  unfolded  they  reached  nearly  to 
the  ground,  each  outward  and  downward-bound 
step  becoming  smaller.  This  was  necessarily  the 
case,  as  they  folded  into  each  other.  They  were 
so  firmly  hinged  into  each  other  as  to  hold  a  per- 
son's weight  without  apparent  strain.  Of  course 
Will  Benson  was  on  hand,  to  help  sister  Mary  into 
the  carriage.  It  was  quite  an  accomplishment  for 
a  lady  to  mount  the  carriage  steps  with  becoming 
dignity,  and  I  noticed  that  the  help  of  a  gentleman 
always  aided  very  much  in  the  accomplishment  of 
the  feat.  The  bishop  and  his  companion  rode  in  an 
open  carriage.  As  they  had  taken  a  fancy  to  me, 
they  invited  me  to  ride  with  them.  This  invitation 
I  was  delighted  to  accept.  All  being  ready,  the 
boat  on  wheels  led  the  way,  and  we  followed. 
This  comparison  of  the  old  family  carriage  to  a 
steamboat  was  probably  suggested  by  an  amusing 
incident  which  occurred  long  after  the  time  of 
which  I  am  writing.  As  the  great  civil  war  was 
dragging  its  dismal  length  near  to  a  close,  the  Fed- 
eral soldiers  were  making  a  raid  through  the  coun- 
try. It  was  along  a  lonesome  road  through  the 
pine  hills  in  the  western  part  of  Calhoun  County, 
Mississippi.     Under  a   shelter  near  the  roadside, 


A  TALE   OF   THE  OLD   SOUTH.  77 

and  near  a  home  that  had  once  known  better  days, 
one  of  these  old  carriages  had  found  rest  for  the 
last  three  years.  Some  of  the  .foremost  cavalry- 
men, pointing  to  the  antique  symbol  of  departing 
glory,  cried  out  "  Gunboat!  "  and  made  a  wide 
curve  in  the  line  of  march,  as  if  afraid  of  the 
monster.  The  whole  line  took  up  the  cry,  and 
with  great  glee  made  the  curve  around  the  harm- 
less relic  of  a  once  powerful  aristocracy. 

Will  was  conspicuous  as  he  cantered  along  close 
behind  the  carriage,  ready  for  any  emergency,  es- 
pecially to  be  ready  to  assist  sister  from  the  car- 
riage and  escort  her  to  the  church  door.  That 
was  the  exact  thing  to  do  under  the  circumstances. 
As  we  drew  near  the  church,  we  saw  carriages 
coming  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Behind 
each  carriage  was  a  young  man  in  a  fair  canter  to 
keep  up.  To  a  cynical  eye  they  might  have  sug- 
gested the  idea  of  sharks  in  the  wake  of  ships. 
Behind  one  carriage  there  were  two  young  men 
speeding  along  as  if  in  a  race.  The  reason  was 
soon  apparent.  There  were  two  young  ladies  de- 
manding attention.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  did  not 
sit  together  in  church  in  those  days.  So  the  ladies 
were  simply  escorted  to  the  door.  It  appears  to 
me  that  the  young  gentlemen  of  that  day  were 
more  easily  satisfied  with  the  amount  of  the  young 
ladies'  company  than  are  the  lads  of  our  times. 
Now  the  young  gentleman  takes  his  sweetheart  in 
a  buggy  all  to  himself,  takes  any  circuitous  route 
in  getting  there,  and  then  sits  by  her  side  while  the 


78  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

minister  conducts  the  services,  or  at  least  takes 
some  part  in  the  exercises. 

The  services  ii^  church  that  day  were  just  such 
as  might  be  expected  from  the  able  men  who  con- 
ducted them.  There  was  no  effort  at  display,  no 
airing  of  great  philosophical  questions,  nothing  to 
suggest  or  invite  skepticism.  The  truth  was  pre- 
sented with  such  persuasive  unction  and  simple 
purity  of  diction  as  at  once  to  win  the  assent  of 
the  mind  and  the  affection  of  the  heart. 

To  me  the  occasion  was  one  of  delight.  I  sat 
by  mother  and  she  sat  near  Mrs.  Brantlett  and 
Susie.  I  was  between  two  sources  of  inspiration: 
Susie  and  the  bishop.  Faith  went  out  toward  the 
pulpit,  and  love  toward  Susie.  Heaven  and  earth 
had  charms  equally  attractive.  Fortunately,  in 
my  view,  the  charms  were  not  incompatible.  I 
saw  no  reason  why  heaven  and  earth  might  not 
embrace  and  kiss  each  other,  and  that  I  should  be 
the  center  of  the  meeting.  Duty  thrilled  from  the 
pulpit;  love  rose  gently  from  the  pew.  As  these 
lines  lay  out  before  me,  I  could  see  that  they  were 
not  parallel,  but  soon  became  identical. 

The  visit  of  the  good  bishop  to  our  house  was 
made  more  memorable  by  the  fact  that  Will  Ben- 
son took  occasion  by  it  to  bring  his  suit  for  the 
hand  of  sister  Mary  to  a  happy  consummation. 
Will  had  for  some  time  been  urging  this  matter, 
and  had  the  consent  of  all  who  had  a  right  to  be 
consulted.  But  mother  wished  to  postpone.  She 
liked  Will.     She  knew  he  was  a  gentleman,  and 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  79 

Mary  was  doing  well.  She  did  not  make  wealth 
a  special  consideration,  but  I  noticed  that  she  gen- 
erally mentioned  the  fact  that  Mjr.  Benson  had  a 
fine  plantation  and  worked  many  hands.  But  why 
not  wait  just  a  little.  Will  had  consummate  skill 
in  the  management  of  feminine  instincts.  It  would 
be  so  nice,  he  said,  to  be  married  by  the  bishop. 
And  such  an  opportunity  would  never  again  oc- 
cur. He  had  learned  that  the  bishop  could  be 
induced  to  stay  and  rest  until  Tuesday  morning. 
Why  not  now,  as  well  as  any  time?  Mother  was 
fairly  caught.  To  have  her  daughter  married  by 
a  bishop  was  evidently  taking.  Father  saw  the 
effect,  smiled  at  the  young  man's  ingenuity,  and 
said:  "  Yes,  as  well  now  as  any  time."  So  Tues- 
day morning  the  private,  simple  wedding  took  place. 
Only  a  few  of  the  neighbors  witnessed  the  hap- 
py event.  The  distinguished  ministers  went  on 
their  way.  Will  and  sister  Mary  blessed  their 
coming,  as  did  every  one  else. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
On  a  Visit. 

WHEN  I  was  about  twelve  years  old,  a  very 
memorable  event  occurred.  It  was  a  visit  to 
the  family  of  my  older  sister.  Capt.  Johnson  owned 
a  large  plantation  in  Louisiana.  Mother  had  often 
planned  a  visit  down  there,  and  now  it  was  to  be 
realized.  Great  were  the  preparations,  and  great 
the  expectations  which  ushered  in  the  day  of  our 
departure.  Mother,  mammy,  and  I  were  the  prin- 
cipals in  the  movement;  while  trunks,  boxes,  and 
bundles  were,  according  to  sister  Mary's  idea, 
entirely  too  numerous  for  respectability.  Mother 
said  she  didn't  think  it  necessary  to  take  much 
baggage,  but  of  course  we  must  have  several  dif- 
ferent suits.  We  would  meet  strangers,  probably 
desire  to  make  some  visits,  and  possibly  wish  to 
attend  church.  Our  wardrobe  had  to  be  equal 
to  all  these  possibilities.  Then  there  might  be 
changes  in  the  weather,  and  it  would  be  better  to 
have  wraps.  We  might  by  some  accident  all  get 
wet,  and  some  heavy  cloaks  and  oversuits  would 
be  needed.  Then  Mary,  Fannie,  and  Willie,  sweet 
little  things,  must  all  have  some  special  presents 
from  grandma.  Father  ventured  to  remark  that 
we  had  better  not  overload  the  boat,  for  in  that 
case  we  might  not  need  the  clothing.  Mother's 
(80) 


A  TALE   OF   THE  OLD   SOUTH.  8l 

reply  indicated  that  there  was  apt  to  be  a  very- 
fair  margin  between  what  men  know  and  what 
they  think  they  know.  So  with  much  debating  and 
deliberating  the  number  of  packages  to  be  taken 
was  definitely  settled.  It  was  also  settled  that  fa- 
ther was  to  go  with  us  to  the  river,  and  see  us 
comfortably  on  the  boat. 

As  there  was  a  convenient  stopping  place  about 
halfway  to  the  river,  it  was  determined  to  make 
the  trip  by  easy  drives  in  two  days.  The  auspi- 
cious morning  finally  came,  and  George  brought 
out  his  span  of  blacks  in  splendid  order.  The  car- 
riage fairly  glistened  in  the  morning  sun.  George 
was  dressed  for  the  occasion.  He  sported  a  suit 
of  second-hand  black.  It  was  a  composite  suit, 
the  different  parts  having  been  furnished  by  dif- 
erent  originals,  of  different  sizes.  The  pants 
were  tight  at  the  knee,  and  wide  at  the  shoe,  re- 
minding one  of  an  inverted  lily.  The  coat  was 
remarkable  for  extravagance  in  length  and  econ- 
omy in  breadth  of  tail.  His  boot  heels  added 
about  one  and  a  half  inches  to  his  height,  while 
his  head  was  crowned  with  a  narrow  "beaver" 
nearly  a  foot  long.  I  took  his  picture  with  my 
eye,  by  the  instantaneous  process,  while  he  was 
mounting  his  seat  on  the  front  end  of  the  carriage, 
and  just  as  his  rear  foot  was  on  the  last  step,  and 
his  front  one  on  the  foot  rest  of  the  driver's  seat. 
In  this  position  he  has  served  ever  since  to  remind 
me  of  a  crane  climbing  up  a  corner  of  a  cliff  at  the 
angle  of  a  mill  pond. 
6 


82  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

It  was  in  early  morning  in  May  when  we  finally 
waved  adieu  to  familiar  scenes,  and  took  our 
course  westward  to  the  river.  As  a  special  favor, 
I  was  allowed  that  bright  spring  morning  to  ride 
out  on  the  seat  with  George.  We  were  soon  skirt- 
ing along  the  edge  of  Mr.  Benson's  farm;  then 
away  into  the  wooded  country  where  birds  greet- 
ed us,  and  ever  and  anon  a  squirrel  was  seen  to 
jump  from  limb  to  limb  amid  the  leafy  bowers  of 
his  native  home.  All  nature  glowed  in  a  broad 
sheen  of  sunshine,  leaf,  and  flower.  It  was  a  time 
for  thought  and  reverie.  For  once  my  tongue  was 
silent,  and  my  reason  active.  On  that  beautiful 
morning  my  young  imagination  was  held  in  a  sweet 
thraldom  by  the  blending  sensations  of  sight  and 
sound.  Mother  nature  was  humming  in  my  rea- 
son's ear  a  delightful  song  to  the  praise  of  the  ever 
present  Deity.  Beneath  the  calm  surface  of  beau- 
ty my  mind  was  reading  an  underlying  purpose  of 
divine  love  and  protection.  There  was  before  me 
in  all  its  complicated  beauty  the  problem  of  all 
ages,  the  problem  of  existence.  The  lesson  it 
spelled  out  to  me  was  one  of  trust  and  hope. 
Looking  back  at  this  distance,  I  do  not  see  how 
my  mind  could  have  been  better  employed,  or  my 
conclusions  more  just;  for  surely  he  sees  nature 
"through  a  glass  darkly"  who  fails  to  see  in  her 
manifold  phases  the  ever  present  finger  of  purpose 
pointing  to  the  invisible  Power  whose  presence  is 
felt  in  every  atom  of  existence. 

But  my  reverie  was  checked  or  turned  into  a  new 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  83 

channel  by  the  sight  of  something  far  down  the  road 
coming  slowly  toward  us,  while  we  were  moving 
rapidly  toward  it.  It  was  like  a  covered  wagon, 
but  somehow  w^e  could  see  no  team  or  driver. 
Finally  there  was  the  appearance  of  a  boy's  head 
right  in  the  middle  of  the  slowly  moving  mass. 
Then  there  seemed  to  be  a  horse's  head  peering 
out  in  front.  At  last  George  discovered  that  it 
was  a  boy  carr3nng  a  huge  bag  of  wool  rolls  in 
front  of  him  on  a  horse.  "  Dar's  a  wool-kyardin' 
mersheen  down  on  de  road  head  uv  us."  When 
we  met  the  lad,  I  was  surprised  to  see  the  same 
boy  I  had  seen  piling  brush  for  his  father  when  I 
w^as  out  last  winter  rabbit  hunting-  It  was  evident 
the  family  was  beginning  thus  early  to  manufac- 
ture clothes  for  the  coming  winter.  "  Dat's  John 
Henderson,"  said  George.  *'  He's  a  son  uv  John 
Henderson,  the  kyarpenter.  His  paw's  named 
John  an'  he's  named  John."  There  was  a  con- 
temptuous slur  in  George's  voice.  This  was  be- 
cause of  the  boy's  lowly  condition.  Such  is  the 
force  of  thought  when  it  is  ground  into  us  by  daily 
experience.  George  had  an  utter  contempt  for  a 
freeman  whose  condition  compelled  him  to  do  the 
work  a  slave  was  bound  to  do.  Freedom  and 
idleness,  slavery  and  work,  were  so  connected  in 
George's  mind  that  they  were  correlative  condi- 
tions. But  the  boy  had  a  bright,  winning  face, 
and  I  desired  to  know  more  about  him.  We  soon 
arrived  at  the  "  kyarding  mersheen,"  as  George 
called  it,  and  finding  a  good  spring  and  a  good 


84  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

chance  to  water  and  rest  the  team,  we  drew  up  for 
lunch.  As  we  were  in  no  hurry  to  get  away,  I 
had  an  opportunity  to  satisfy  my  curiosity  in  re- 
gard to  this  wool-carding  machine.  It  was  driven 
by  water  applied  to  a  breast  wheel.  The  wheel 
was  some  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  and  had  "  buck- 
ets"— that  is,  receptacles  for  the  water — all  around 
its  rim.  These  buckets  were  about  two  feet 
long,  reaching  across  the  face  of  the  wheel.  They 
were  about  four  by  five  inches  in  breadth  and 
depth.  The  water  ran  into  the  buckets  from  a 
flume  about  half  the  height  of  the  wheel,  or 
"breast  high."  Hence  the  name.  The  buckets 
were  filled  in  succession  as  the  wheel  moved  slow- 
ly around.  The  machinery  was  driven  by  the 
weight  of  the  water  in  the  buckets.  The  wool, 
after  being  thoroughly  washed  and  picked,  thus 
being  freed  from  dirt  and  burs,  was  placed  on  a 
feeder  and  thus  carried  regularly  into  the  machine. 
The  wool,  being  well  carded,  came  out  in  rolls 
about  a  yard  long.  These  were  taken  up  in 
bunches,  and  so  looped  that  they  could  be  packed 
in  large  bags  for  transportation.  That  was  one  of 
the  bags  we  had  seen  carried  by  John  Henderson, 
"  de  kyarpenter's  son." 

Next  day  about  i  o'clock  we  reached  the  riv- 
er. The  great  father  of  waters  had  taken  on  royal 
proportions.  As  we  went  through  a  cut  in  the 
bluff  down  to  the  landing,  it  seemed  to  me  we 
would  drive  right  into  the  world  of  waters  at  our 
feet.     I  could  hardly  assure  myself  that  there  was 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  85 

no  danger,  and  that  the  water  was  some  distance  off. 
The  boat  was  expected  to  arrive  soon,  as  she  was 
due  to  leave  at  4  o'clock  that  afternoon.  My 
fears  subsided  very  rapidly,  and  my  curiosity  rose 
in  like  ratio.  It  kept  mother  and  mammy  both 
busy  to  keep  me  out  of  danger.  Two  trading 
boats  were  cabled  at  the  landing,  and  seemed  to 
be  doing  well  in  trading  dry  goods  and  notions. 
These  floating  stores  were  novelties  to  me;  and 
had  my  cash  been  equal  to  my  questions,  I  would 
have  been  a  much  desired  customer.  Several 
skiffs  were  tied  to  stakes  at  the  water's  edge.  To 
get  in  them  and  feel  the  motion  of  the  waves 
seemed  to  me  an  innocent  pastime,  but  mother 
and  mammy  were  constantly  perturbed  lest  the  lit- 
tle boat  should  get  adrift  with  me. 

But  attention  was  now  directed  to  the  noise  of  a 
steamboat.  Of  course  we  thought  it  was  our  boat, 
and  we  looked  anxiously  up  the  river  to  catch  sight 
of  her.  It  seemed  to  me  she  was  a  long  time  mak- 
ing her  appearance.  As  the  sound  became  more 
distinct,  it  seemed  that  the  boat  was  coming  up  the 
river.  So  we  impatiently  waited,  looking  first  up 
and  then  down  the  river.  The  beauty  of  the 
scenery  now  began  to  dawn  upon  me.  Our  land- 
ing seemed  to  be  just  in  the  center  of  a  grand 
bend,  as  the  river  flowed  round  at  our  feet.  On 
the  opposite  side,  a  fringe  of  willows,  kissing  with, 
lips  of  green  the  river's  rippling  face,  made  a 
graceful  and  beautiful  curve,  receding  from  us  in 
either  direction,  until  it  obstructed  our  view  of  the 


86  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

great  stream.  Thus  the  river  seemea  to  end  in 
points  about  six  miles  above  and  below.  It  looked 
as  if  we  stood  on  the  outer  rim  of  a  great  crescent 
of  water,  looking  down  into  either  horn.  The 
mellow  sunshine,  like  the  spirit  of  peace,  added 
yet  brighter  charms  to  this  scene  of  beauty. 

Above  the  green  foliage  we  could  at  last  see  the 
smoke  of  the  steamer  as  she  was  coming  round  the 
bend  below.  Presently  she  glided  into  view, 
seeming  to  emerge  from  some  recess  in  the  green 
forest.  A  glance  up  the  river  showed  that  our 
boat  also  was  in  sight.  The  scene  was  splendid. 
A  magnificent  crescent  of  water,  glistening  with  a 
silvery  sheen,  lay  before  us,  while  the  two  boats 
looked  like  gems  set  in  either  tapering  horn. 

The  boat  coming  up  seemed  to  court  the  farther 
shore,  and  made  no  motion  to  land  until  about  op- 
posite us,  and  then  came  directly  across.  This 
was  to  avoid  the  swift  current  on  our  side.  The 
other  boat,  having  the  current  in  her  favor,  came 
the  nearest  way  to  the  landing,  and  "  rounded  to," 
throwing  her  prow  up  the  stream  in  fine  style,  and 
was  cabled  and  her  gang  planks  run  out  over  the 
gunwale  to  the  land  sometime  before  the  up  bound 
steamer  reached  the  shore.  It  was  amusing  to 
hear  the  boats'  crews  exchange  salutations  and 
then  unite  with  peculiar  gusto  in  their  songs, 
while  each  took  on  the  freight  as  directed.  These 
boats  were  packets,  and  both  belonged  to  a  line 
between  Cincinnati  and  New  Orleans.  Thus  the 
reader  will    see   there   was  a   "Queen  and  Cres- 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  87 

cent  Route  "  long  before  the  days  of  railroad 
combinations. 

We  were  soon  comfortably  situated  in  the  ladies' 
cabin.  The  deep-toned  bell  rang  out  the  signal 
for  departure.  Father  bade  us  adieu  with  his  best 
wishes  for  a  pleasant  trip  and  a  safe  return.  The 
gangways  were  drawn  in,  the  great  wheels  began 
to  revolve,  the  boat  backed  out  into  the  river, 
turned  her  prow  to  the  south,  and  we  were  afloat 
on  the  great  Mississippi.  The  constant  quivering 
of  the  boat,  and  her  forward  movement  as  the 
ponderous  wheels  revolved,  were  new  and  delight- 
ful sensations  to  me.  That  there  was  a  sense  of 
danger  seemed  only  to  heighten  the  joy.  For  a 
time  my  attention  was  absorbed  by  the  magnificent 
scenery  which  was  constantly  coming  into  view, 
and  changing  as  the  boat  sped  on  her  way.  The 
waters  were  high,  filling  the  channel,  and  in  many 
places  overflowing  the  low  lands.  The  banks 
were  everywhere  covered  with  living  green.  From 
the  tallest  trees  in  the  background  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  there  was  unbroken  foliage,  va- 
ried in  shades  of  green,  as  different  trees  entered 
into  the  make-up  of  the  scene.  Occasionally  long 
tongues  of  green  jutted  out  from  the  shore,  far 
into  the  great  stream.  These  were  willows  grow- 
ing on  sandbars,  now  covered  with  water. 

As  the  sun  went  down  one  shore  was  wrapped 
in  voluptuous  sunshine,  while  a  deep  shade  rested 
on  the  other.  Finally  the  evening  shades  crept 
across  the  waters  and  climbed  the  heights  on  the 


OO  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

Other  side,  and  a  spirit  of  rest  came  down  on 
everything  except  the  ever  restless  waters  and  the 
swift-moving  boat  consigned  to  their  mercy.  All 
colors  were  lost  in  the  dark  outlines  which  indi- 
cated merely  the  forms  of  things  on  either  margin 
of  the  river. 

But  light,  life,  and  animation  prevailed  within. 
The  passengers  were  mostly  well  to  do  planters 
bound  for  New  Orleans  on  business  or  pleasure. 
A  few  from  the  cities  far  up  the  river  lent  addi- 
tional charms  to  the  conversation.  It  was  an  in- 
telligent, cosmopolitan  company,  talking  of  poli- 
tics, religion,  literature,  business,  and  pleasure. 
But  good  health,  satiety  of  animation,  and  regular 
habits  invited  me  to  repose,  and  I  was  rocked  to 
sleep  by  a  method  I  had  not  known  before. 

Next  morning  the  scenery  along  the  river  was 
different.  Immense  levees  ran  along  on  each 
shore,  to  protect  the  country  from  overflows.  It 
was  strange  and  surprising  to  look  down  on  the 
growing  sugar  cane,  and  to  see  hands  at  work  on 
farms  that  would  be  under  water  but  for  the  levees. 
The  boat  sped  on,  and  in  due  time  "  rounded  to  " 
at  the  landing  near  where  my  sister  lived. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
In    Louisiana. 

OUR  reception  was  most  cordial.  Captain 
Johnson  and  sister  were  both  at  the  landing 
to  extend  a  welcome.  As  they  lived  only  a  few 
hundred  yards  off,  we  were  soon  at  their  fine  resi- 
dence. In  the  shade  of  its  broad  verandas  the 
breezes  were  delightful.  In  the  two  weeks  we 
spent  there  I  think  I  must  have  lived  about  two 
years,  so  vivid  were  the  impressions,  so  glowing 
were  the  emotions !  Everything  was  new  and  full 
of  interest.  But  the  one  thing  that  never  failed  to 
engage  my  thought  and  elicit  my  admiration  was 
the  great  river.  It  lived  in  my  thoughts,  and  has 
crystallized  in  my  memory.  No  other  impressions 
of  my  visit  have  been  so  enduring.  It  awoke  the 
enthusiasm  of  my  soul,  and  has  been  a  delightful 
theme  for  reflection  ever  since. 

In  those  days  the  commerce  of  all  the  upcoun- 
try,  from  the  Alleghany  Mountains  westward, 
flowed  through  this  great  steamboat  highway. 
The  river  was  the  great  artery  of  Western  trade, 
and  was  just  at  that  time  in  full,  healthy  action. 
Much  of  the  produce  from  the  head  waters  of  the 
seminavigable  streams  had  been  waiting  for  the 
spring  rise  to  find  its  way  to  market.  Flatboats 
from  the  interior  had  met  steam  crafts  far  up  these 

fS9) 


90  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

rivers,  and  the  rewards  of  waiting  and  patient  in- 
dustry were  now  to  be  realized.  The  supphes  for 
the  planters,  and  the  summer  goods  on  the  way  to 
country  and  village  stores  now  gave  full  work,  and 
boats  were  almost  constantly  passing. 

What  a  revel  of  thought  these  steamers  pro- 
duced !  Imagination  was  turned  loose,  and  in- 
vested the  beautiful  steamers  with  sympathetic  in- 
terest. One  day — it  was  a  perfect  spring  day, 
when  all  nature  united  in  the  production  of  the 
best — I  was  lying  prone  on  the  floor  of  the  upstairs 
veranda.  I  was  looking  out  on  the  majestic  river, 
lost  in  a  sense  of  its  grandeur  and  beauty,  when  a 
magnificent  steamer  came  in  sight.  A  few  scat- 
tering trees  in  the  foreground,  along  the  margin 
of  the  river,  added  tone  to  the  picture.  The 
scene  was  inspiring.  The  great  river  was  as 
calm,  apparently,  as  an  infant  in  slumber;  yet 
the  swiftly  moving  trash  and  foam,  showing  the 
sweep  and  velocity  of  the  current,  revealed  a 
mighty  energy  hidden  beneath  the  unruffled  sur- 
face.    It  was  majestic  power  in  grand  repose. 

With  the  gracefulness  of  a  swan  on  a  placid  lake, 
the  boat  glided  over  the  waters.  I  felt  my  own 
life  en  raffort  with  the  manifold  life  on  board  the 
floating  palace.  There  were  the  passengers,  many 
of  them  from  homes  up  the  country,  like  my  own. 
Some,  probably,  were  on  their  first  trip,  and  en- 
joyed the  flavor  of  novelty,  as  they  drank  in  the 
shifting  beauty  of  ever  changing  scenery.  Maybe 
a  boy  like   myself  was  on  board,  with    receptive 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  qi 

faculties   all   ajar;   or  a  little  girl  like  Susie,  ab- 
sorbing the  poetry  of  the  passing  views.     In  their 
new  sensations  of  mingled  pleasure  and  apprehen- 
sion  I   felt    a    kindred   glow.     Then    the    boat's 
crew!     What  a    strange    life    they    lived!     This 
great,  mysterious  river  was    their  only  home.     I 
wondered  if  the  stream  held  its  fascination  over 
their  minds,  or  had  it  by  constant  association  be- 
come tame.     The  roustabouts,  who  were  so  often 
taking  on  and  putting  off  freights;  who    loaded 
cord  wood,  worked  the  pumps,  and  kept  generally 
so  busy;   I   wondered  if  they  loved   their   work. 
And  the  cabin  boy,  whose  youth  was  spent  on  the 
ever  moving  vessel;   I  wondered  if  he  ever  had  a 
home  Hke  mine,  and  where  were  his  father  and 
mother.     I  felt  strangely  drawn  toward  the  boy  of 
a  strange  destiny.     Then  the  great  man  who  had 
charge  of   all,  the  captain;   my!  wasn't  he  born 
to   command?     How  everybody  moved  when  he 
was  about!     But  to  me,  the  most  interesting  man 
of  all  was  he  who  worked  the  wheel  in  the  pilot 
house.     From  his  lofty  position,  constantly  look- 
mg  over  the  waters  and  picking  out  the  path  of 
the  steamer  where  no  path  was  visible;   he  was  to 
me  the  very  genius  of  progress.     Thus  I  mused 
till  the  boat  passed  by  and  glided  out  of  sight. 

One  bright  morning  I  went  out  to  the  river 
and  threw  myself  on  the  grass,  on  the  slope 
of  the  levee,  to  commune  with  things  about 
me.  On  the  other  side  of  the  levee,  just  a  few 
yards  away,  the  waves  were  breaking  in  a  delight- 


92  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

ful  murmur.  In  the  tree  above  the  birds  of  rich 
plumage  were  singing  their  sweetest  notes.  Be- 
fore me  was  the  home  of  my  sister.  The  splendid 
residence,  the  extensive  quarters,  the  capacious 
barns,  the  sugar  mill  in  the  distance,  and  the  broad 
expanse  of  growing  cane  spread  out  as  far  as  I 
could  see,  waving  in  the  pleasant  breezes  fresh 
from  the  Gulf.  The  scene  was  poetry  without  a 
bard,  and  music  without  a  master.  I  felt  that  na- 
ture was  just  then  tuning  all  her  harps  to  one  com- 
mon melody,  and  giving  to  my  spirit's  finer  sense 
an  unworded  song  of  vast  significance;  and 
strange  were  the  echoes  awakened  in  my  plastic 
mind. 

But  of  all  the  harps  of  nature  then  giving  music 
to  my  soul,  the  great  river,  the  harp  of  a  thousand 
streams,  was  out  of  all  comparison  the  most  en- 
gaging. To  this  music  I  turned  with  special  de- 
light. I  rose  from  my  place  of  reverie  and  took 
position  on  the  levee,  with  the  broad  expanse  of 
waters  before  me.  My  eyes  feasted  on  the  scene; 
the  river  had  me  fascinated;  to  give  it  study  was 
pleasure.  In  studying  the  sources  of  this  mighty 
stream,  my  geographical  knowledge  assumed  new 
significance.  In  this  great  volume  of  water,  held 
in  abeyance  by  the  narrow  embankments  of  earth 
on  which  I  reposed  and  thought,  how  many  great 
rivers  and  smaller  streams  were  commingled  on 
their  way  to  the  Southern  Gulf!  From  the  con- 
fines of  New  Mexico,  in  the  Southwest,  along  the 
Rocky  Mountains  to  the  British  possessions  in  the 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  93 

Northwest;  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  great 
lakes  of  the  North,  from  New  York,  in  the  North- 
east, the  empire  State  of  the  North,  thence  along 
the  Alleghany  and  Cumberland  Mountains  to 
Georgia,  the  empire  State  of  the  South;  the  wa- 
ters from  all  this  vast  region  were  gathered  here. 
I  never  before  so  fully  realized  the  greatness  of 
my  native  land.  And  I  felt  a  young  patriot's 
pride  of  country.  In  the  imperial  domain  from 
which  these  waters  came  might  be  merged  a 
score  of  European  principalities,  over  whose  des- 
tinies men  have  fought  and  heroes  have  died,  and 
still  there  would  be  room  for  more.  The  waters 
from  every  vapory  cloud,  the  torrents  from  every 
raging  storm,  the  tricklings  from  melting  ice  and 
snow,  the  gurglings  from  the  million  springs  in  all 
this  great  country,  were  here  passing  by  with  en- 
ergy irresistible  and  yet  with  murmurings  soft  as 
an  infant's  laugh.  Waters  collected  from  the 
broad  prairies,  from  the  mountains,  swamps,  and 
forests;  from  the  trails  of  the  buffalo,  the  war- 
paths of  the  Indians,  and  the  furrow  of  the  hardy 
settlers;  from  the  haunts  of  the  wild  beasts  and 
the  cities  of  busy  men ;  were  here  singing  to  me  a 
song  of  my  country's  greatness  and  her  noble  des- 
tiny. 

I  had  a  new  conception  of  the  vastness  and  cer- 
tainty of  the  Western  empire.  When  this  im- 
mense territory  shall  have  a  population  equal  to  its 
full  capacity  to  maintain,  then  the  flag  of  ascend- 
ancy will  have  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  be  floating 


94 


SAM    WILLIAMS: 


here.  Such  a  country  has  only  to  bide  its  time  to 
rule  the  destinies  of  the  world.  Surely  the  land 
of  Washington  is  to  be  the  guiding  star  of  the  na- 
tions. Such  were  my  thoughts  that  morning  as  I 
communed  with  nature,  and  drank  deep  of  the 
prophecy  of  my  country's  progress. 

All  too  soon  the  time  came  for  us  to  return  home. 
It  was  in  the  early  morning  we  assembled  on  the 
levee  to  await  the  landing  of  the  steamer.  She  was  a 
magnificent  boat.  My  heart  beat  with  quickened 
force  as  she  came  up,  seeming  all  the  times  to  in- 
crease in  size,  till  she  stopped  at  our  very  feet. 
We  were  soon  on  board ;  farewells  were  said,  and 
once  more  I  was  enjoying  the  strange  sensations 
produced  by  the  steamer's  motions.  I  was  glad 
we  were  to  make  so  much  of  the  trip  this  time  in 
daylight.  The  scenery  along  the  river  was  beau- 
tiful, and  I  never  tired  of  the  changing  views.  As 
the  waters  were  high,  the  boat  took  several  short 
routes  called  "  chutes,"  thus  saving  the  distance 
around  long  bends  in  the  river.  In  some  places 
the  water  in  these  chutes  was  shallow,  and  the 
vessel  had  to  feel  her  way  along.  At  such  places 
two  men  with  sounding  lines,  one  on  either  side  of 
the  boat,  sounded  for  the  bottom.  As  they  stood 
at  the  gunwale  and  threw  out  the  lead  they  kept 
up  a  monotonous  cry,  "no  bottom,"  "five  feet 
scant,"  "  mark  twain,"  and  other  phrases  I  failed 
to  remember.  The  captain  stood  on  the  upper 
deck  and  repeated  their  words  to  the  pilot,  with 
the  additional  information   as  to  the   side   of  the 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  95 

vessel  from  which  the  message  came.  The  boat 
veered  as  the  depth  of  water  was  ascertained,  thus 
creeping  along  the  bottom  till  she  passed  over  the 
bar. 

I  witnessed  another  method  of  economizing  time 
by  the  up-bound  steamers.  Instead  of  landing  to 
take  on  wood,  they  fastened  to  the  side  of  the 
steamer  a  loaded  wood  boat  kept  in  readiness  at 
the  wood  yard  for  the  purpose,  and  unloaded  as 
they  went,  till  finally  the  empty  flat,  with  its  small 
crew  of  two  or  three  men,  was  set  adrift  to  float 
back. 

Our  boat's  crew  were  all  white  men.  On  the 
boats  plying  exclusively  on  Southern  rivers  the 
crews  were  composed  mostly  of  negro  slaves.  I 
was  told  that  it  was  no  longer  safe  for  slaves  to 
land  in  the  free  states  North,  and  that  was  why 
boats  plying  in  those  waters  employed  only  white 
men. 

We  reached  our  landing  in  the  night,  and  met 
father,  who  had  come  with  the  carriage ;  and  next 
day,  by  an  early  start  and  long  drive,  we  arrived 
safely  at  home. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Going  to  School. 

AFTER  our  return  from  Louisiana  life  at  the 
old  home  went  on  as  usual  till  autumn,  when 
I  started  to  school.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  been 
taught  at  home.  Mother  said  she  had  me  far 
enough  advanced  to  risk  me  in  the  hands  of  a 
teacher.  Father  said  he  wanted  me  to  go  school 
to  take  the  conceit  out  of  me.  He  was  of  the 
opinion  there  was  nothing  equal  to  boys  to  take 
the  conceit  out  of  a  boy.  Thus  one  parent  was 
willing  for  me  to  begin  school  because  my  educa- 
tion could  not  now  be  readily  spoiled;  the  other 
because  it  would  keep  me  from  being  spoiled. 
Father  thought  that  much  of  the  practical  educa- 
tion which  a  boy  needs  to  prepare  him  for  useful- 
ness in  life  is  gained  by  daily  association  with  his 
equals.  Boys  demand  of  each  other  fair  dealing 
and  evenhanded  justice,  and  are  even  more 
ready  than  men  to  denounce  any  undue  assump- 
tion. The  petted  boy,  fresh  from  the  parental 
roof,  is  apt  to  hear  things  of  himself  he  had  not 
heard  before.  By  the  frankness  of  his  compan- 
ions he  may  see  himself  as  others  see  him. 

School  life  was  rather  irksome  at  first,  but  I  had 

been  taught  to  study.     I  soon  saw  that  1  had  an 

advantage    over    others   who    had   been  going  to 

school  for  some  years.     I  shall  always  be  grateful 

(96) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  97 

to  mother  for  laying  the  foundation  of  my  educa- 
tion at  home.  It  was  to  me  a  kind  stroke  of  fate 
that  Susie  Brantlett  began  school  at  the  same  time. 
She  too  had  been  taught  at  home,  and  was  right 
well  advanced  for  one  of  her  age.  Her  presence 
was  to  me  a  source  of  joy,  a  safeguard  against 
mischief,  and  an  inspiration  to  study.  A  tender 
regard  for  purity  is  purifying;  the  admiration  of 
nobility  is  ennobling.  These  qualities  in  Susie 
were  to  me  a  constant  reproof  and  a  perpetual  en- 
couragement. Under  such  influences  the  man 
that  is  in  us  is  constantly  struggling,  with  fair 
chances  of  success,  to  gain  the  mastery  over  igno- 
ble selfishness  and  contemptible  littleness.  This  is 
Heaven's  method  of  developing  manhood.  Thus 
I  gained  at  school  a  culture  not  included  in  the 
teacher's  curriculum. 

Twice  each  day  the  scholars  were  drawn  up  in 
line  for  spelling.  Almost  the  entire  school,  with- 
out regard  to  age,  sex,  or  proficiency,  was  in  the 
spelling  class.  When  we  stood  up  in  line,  we 
reached  entirely  across  the  schoolroom,  and  had 
to  double  round  at  the  foot  of  the  class.  The  first 
day  we  took  position  by  lot.  As  I  was  never  lucky 
at  games  of  chance,  I  drew  up  far  down  toward 
the  foot.  I  was  glad  to  see  that  Susie  was  near 
the  head.  The  first  word  was  missed  by  the  first 
three  spellers.  Dick  Webb  was  fourth,  and 
spelled  the  word  quickly,  with  an  air  of  intelli- 
gence, and  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  class, 
as  one  born  for  the  position.  Susie  was  next,  and 
7 


98  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

spelled  her  word  with  a  modesty  and  independence 
all  her  own.  There  was  constant  change  of  place 
during  this  first  spelling,  the  good  spellers  going 
toward  the  head,  and  the  bad  ones  toward  the  foot 
of  the  class.  At  the  close  Susie  was  third,  and  I 
sixth.  It  was  evident  that  there  was  to  be  sharp 
competition  for  the  first  place,  and  that  this  part  of 
our  daily  routine  was  to  be  very  interesting. 

The  second  morning,  when  most  of  the  scholars 
had  arrived,  and  we  were  waiting  for  the  teacher, 
Mr.  Dunbar,  to  come  and  open  school,  we  were 
surprised  to  see  a  strange  man  and  boy  come  rid- 
ing up,  with  evident  intention  of  stopping  at  the 
schoolhouse.  It  was  a  source  of  open  and  inde- 
corous merriment  that  they  both  came  on  the  same 
horse,  the  boy  riding  behind.  I  knew  them  at  a 
glance.  They  were  the  Hendersons.  My  first 
impulse  was  to  speak  to  the  man,  and  call  him  by 
name.  But  partly  from  timidity  and,  it  must  be 
confessed,  partly  from  fear  of  ridicule,  I  was  silent. 
But  I  had  the  indiscretion  to  tell  some  of  the  boys 
I  knew  them.  At  once,  with  laughter  and  jeers, 
the  words  were  bandied  around,  "These  are  some 
of  Sam  Williams's  acquaintances."  Dolph  Par- 
ker stuffed  his  hands  in  his  pants  pockets  and 
stepped  around  like  a  turkey  cock  on  a  plant  bed 
in  spring  time,  as  he  said;  "  Sam,  why  don't  you 
bring  up  your  chum  and  introduce  him?"  The 
laugh  that  followed  was  very  provoking.  I  knew 
I  had  done  nothing  to  provoke  laughter,  and  I  felt 
my  blood  boil;   but  at  this  time   Mr.  Henderson 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  99 

came  up  and  inquired  if  the  teacher  had  come. 
Adolphus  had  turned  off  with  an  air  of  contempt, 
the  other  boys  were  chuckhng  over  his  wit  at  my 
expense,  and  I  was  sulking  with  indignation.  I 
felt  that  our  silence  was  rude,  and  I  was  turning 
to  speak,  when  Susie,  who  had  spied  the  teacher 
coming  over  the  hill,  replied:  "The  teacher  is 
coming,  sir."  This  was  timely  and  brave.  The 
dread  of  unmerited  contempt  was  now  all  gone, 
and  I  went  up  to  John  and  asked  if  he  was  coming 
to  school.  His  replies  were  manly  and  straight- 
forward. He  seemed  to  appreciate  the  situation, 
and  was  drawn  toward  me  because  he  saw  that  a 
right  motive  had  prompted  my  familiarity.  From 
that  hour  we  were  friends. 

Mr.  Henderson  had  come  to  place  his  son  in 
school.  It  was  three  miles  to  walk,  he  said,  but  it 
was  the  best  he  could  do.  So  John  Henderson 
was  enrolled  as  a  pupil.  The  boys  manifested  a 
shyness,  if  not  contempt,  for  the  boy  who  had  to 
walk  three  miles  to  a  school,  and  who  wore  coarse 
clothes  and  brogan  shoes.  Other  boys  came  as 
far,  but  they  had  horses  to  ride,  and  if  at  any  time 
they  wore  coarse  garments  or  heavy  shoes,  it  was 
largely  a  matter  of  choice.  It  matters  little  what  a 
man  wears  so  everybody  knows  he  could  do  better. 
But  with  John  the  hard  conditions  were  of  neces- 
sity. He  was  doing  the  best  he  could;  therefore 
he  was  the  subject  of  dislike  and  ridicule. 

When  the  school  was  called  into  line  to  spell  just 
before   dismissal   at  noon,  it  was  to  be  seen  that 


loo  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

most  of  the  larger  scholars  had  risen  toward  the 
head  of  the  class,  while  the  smaller  ones  had  set- 
tled toward  the  foot, so  that  the  class  was  tapering 
in  size,  something  like  a  pig's  tail.  And  when  they 
doubled  around  at  the  foot  the  likeness  became 
still  more  striking,  as  it  seemed  to  give  the  final  curl, 
not  for  ornament,  as  on  the  pig,  but  for  want  of 
room.  John,  being  a  new  scholar,  had  of  course 
to  take  his  place  at  the  foot.  As  he  was  much 
larger  than  any  others  down  there  he  looked  like 
something  stuck  on  the  extreme  end  of  the  pig's 
tail  to  represent  a  grand  flourish. 

The  class  had  now  become  more  settled.  Of 
course  changes  occurred,  but  they  were  less  fre- 
quent. John  missed  his  first  word.  Dolph,  from 
his  position  up  near  the  head  of  the  class,  enjoyed 
this  with  a  savory  relish.  John  was  a  little  embar- 
rassed, but  the  miss  was  not  wholly  attributable  to 
that.  He  was  rather  backward  in  his  studies. 
His  opportunities  had  been  poor.  But  no  boy  in 
school  had  more  resolution  and  determination 
stamped  on  his  countenance. 

The  contest  for  the  first  place  in  the  class  was 
sharp  between  Dick  Webb  and  Susie  Brantlett. 
Dick  was  two  or  three  years  older;  but  if  he  had 
the  mastery,  he  held  it  by  a  very  uncertain  tenure. 
Dolph  and  I  kept  pretty  well  together,  about  sixth 
and  seventh  from  head.  John  gained  some,  but 
held  position  near  the  foot.  It  seemed  to  be  taken 
for  granted  all  around  that  this  was  in  accordance 
with  the  fitness  of  things. 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  Id 

On  the  playground  a  new  trouble  arose.  Dolph 
Parker  and  Dick  Webb  were  selected  as  cham- 
pions of  the  game  of  ball.  They  were  to  choose 
alternately  among  the  boys  until  all  had  been 
chosen.  The  choosing  went  on  until  every  boy 
large  enough  to  play  had  been  chosen,  except 
John.  It  was  Dolph's  time  to  choose.  He  made 
it  his  opportunity  to  snub.  With  an  air  of  super- 
cilious disdain,  he  said  he  had  no  use  for  any  fur- 
ther material  in  reach.  Webb  proposed  to  make 
an  exchange  and  himself  take  John.  But  Dolph 
would  hear  to  nothing  of  the  kind.  The  boys  felt 
the  injustice,  and  many  of  them  were  indignant, 
but  they  did  not  like  to  have  a  rupture  with  Dolph 
Parker.  He  was  stout,  revengeful,  overbearing. 
Besides,  he  was  the  richest  boy  in  school.  Wealth 
is  very  apt  to  claim  some  social  advantages  and 
exemptions,  and  such  claims  are  generally  allowed. 
I  remembered  the  brave  words  of  Susie  in  the 
the  morning,  and  how  I  had  felt  the  sting  of 
Dolph's  taunt.  Fortunately  I  was  on  Dick's  side. 
My  resignation  would  make  the  game  even.  So 
I  said  to  Dick:  "  I  don't  care  to  play;  I'll  pull 
out  and  make  you  even."  As  I  walked  off,  Dick 
made  earnest  protest ;  but  Dolph,  with  a  contemp- 
tuous wave  of  the  hand,  said:  ''  Let  him  go  with 
his  equal."  I  hurled  back,  in  defiance:  "  If  I  do, 
I'll  not  be  found  in  your  company." 

Things  had  now  gone  as  far  as  they  could  go 
without  being  recognized  by  the  teacher.  I  went 
down  to  the  spring,  and,  sitting  at  the  root  of  a 


i:02  SAM    WILLIAMS; 

tree,  in  the  dense  shade  of  the  forest,  let  the  min- 
istries of  nature  help  to  cool  down  my  indignation. 
I  could  hear  the  boys  at  play,  and  wondered  if 
they  were  thinking  of  John  and  me.  When  I 
thought  playtime  was  nearly  over,  I  went  back, 
going  round  the  playground  to  the  schoolhouse. 
There  I  found  John  poring  over  his  lessons.  The 
sympathetic  concern  on  his  face  as  he  looked  at 
me  was  something  to  remember.  He  looked  like 
he  wanted  to  say  something,  but  knew  not  what  to 
say.  I  affected  to  appear  as  if  there  was  nothing 
wrong,  picked  up  a  book,  and  pretended  to  study. 
But  the  awkward  suspense  was  soon  over,  as  the 
bell  rang  for  books. 

John's  nearest  way  home  was  by  our  place. 
Susie  went  the  same  way  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  her  home.  The  Aliens  (Ben,  Joe,  and 
Minnie)  went  part  of  the  way  until  their  road 
turned  off.  Conversation  was  a  little  strained 
that  afternoon.  The  only  thing  we  were  thinking 
much  about  was  the  very  thing  to  which  we  made 
no  allusion.  That  night  I  laid  my  troubles  before 
mother.  It  was  my  first  conflict  with  the  world. 
She  was  much  concerned.  A  difference  with  any 
of  Col.  Parker's  family  was  painful  in  the  extreme. 
Her  manner,  put  into  words,  would  have  run  about 
this  way:  "Why,  he's  the  richest  man  in  the 
neighborhood!  Then,  this  poor  boy,  who  is  he?'* 
She  was  evidently  troubled.  She  believed  I  had 
done  right,  but  shrank  from  the  situation  as  some- 
thing to  be  deplored.     Father  was  made  of  sterner 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        IO3 

Stuff.  He  said:  "Son,  do  right,  all  the  way 
through,  and  you  will  come  out  all  right."  This 
advice  I  determined  to  follow. 

Next  day  I  went  to  school  with  some  apprehen- 
sion. I  was  fully  determined  that  I  would  not  be 
a  party  to  any  unjust  ostracism  of  John  Hender- 
son. But  I  did  not  wish  the  ill  will  of  any  of  the 
boys.  I  therefore  looked  forward  to  the  playtime 
with  crreat  solicitude.  In  school  I  had  no  time  to 
think  of  troubles  to  come.  It  seemed  but  a  short 
while  when  we  were  called  up  to  spell,  and  then 
dismissed  for  dinner.  When  we  had  eaten,  we 
were  a  little  surprised  and  much  gratified  at  the 
offer  of  Mr.  Dunbar,  the  teacher,  to  join  us  in  our 
game  of  ball.  He  was  at  once  nominated  as 
champion.  Dolph  was  selected  as  the  other. 
They  threw  up  "heads  and  tails"  to  see  which 
should  have  first  choice.  This  fell  to  the  teach- 
er. Having  taken  position  as  if  reviewing  the 
whole  group  of  eager  boys,  he  paused  as  if  mak- 
ing up  his  mind,  and  then  chose  John  Henderson. 
The  surprise  was  intense.  Dolph  looked  like  a 
thunderbolt  had  barely  missed  him.  Instantly  the 
the  boys  saw  the  whole  meaning,  and  the  approba- 
tion was  so  hearty  that  they  gave  round  after 
round  of  cheers.  This  rebuke  was  so  timelv, 
and  had  such  happy  effect,  that  contempt  for  the 
poor  boy  was  not  shown  again,  openlv,  for 
several  months.  INIeanwhile,  John  made  rapid 
progress  in  his  studies.  In  fact,  in  about  three 
months  it  began  to  appear  that  it  would  require 


104 


SAM    WILLIAMS. 


extraordinary  diligence  to  keep  ahead  of  him.  He 
had  long  ago  left  the  foot  of  the  class  and  had  been 
several  times  at  the  head,  while  the  general  aver- 
age in  his  studies  was  very  respectable.  This 
rapid  advance  brought  John  into  general  favor, 
was  gratifying  to  the  teacher,  and  quite  mortifying 
to  Adolphus  Parker. 

One  feature  of  the  school  was  of  special  inter- 
est. This  was  the  lecture.  Every  Friday  after- 
noon was  taken  up  by  lectures,  speeches,  decla- 
mations, and  dialogues.  The  teacher  generally 
took  part.  These  lectures  were  designed  to  pro- 
mote useful  reading.  Literature,  criticism,  philo- 
sophical and  scientific  inquiries  were  the  topics. 
Books,  new  and  old,  were  commented  on.  To 
many  of  us  this  was  the  most  stimulating  exercise 
in  the  whole  school.  It  provoked  inquiry,  stimu- 
lated thought,  and  led  to  general  reading.  In  a 
few  years  we  became  acquainted  with  the  merits 
of  English  literature.  The  names  of  the  great 
authors  became  as  familiar  as  household  words. 
We  knew  when  and  where  they  lived,  and  some- 
thing of  what  they  thought  and  wrote. 

It  did  me  good  to  see  the  effects  of  these  lec- 
tures on  John  Henderson.  It  was  like  the  coming 
of  an  ardent  and  long-baffled  lover  to  the  one  who 
possessed  his  soul  entire.  The  flash  of  the  eye, 
the  flush  of  interest  on  the  face,  the  eager  satisfac- 
tion so  visible  in  every  movement,  as  new  ideas 
flashed  into  his  mind,  was  a  wonder  and  a  spur  to 
me.  If  knowledge  was  worth  so  much  to  John, 
why  should  it  be  worth  less  to  me  ? 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Prosperity. 

DURING  all  these  years  while  I  was  growing 
and  learning,  one  thing  constantly  impressed 
my  mind.  It  was  the  fact  that  the  country  was  all 
the  time  growing  richer.  The  slaves  continually 
increased.  Troops  of  young  negroes  on  our  place 
were  every  year  recruiting  the  field  hands.  The 
children  with  whom  I  used  to  romp  and  play  and 
hunt  rabbits  went  to  the  field  about  the  time  I 
started  to  school,  and  were  now  able  to  do  the 
work  of  full-grown  hands.  These  had  been  pre- 
ceded by  others,  and  were  followed  by  an  ever 
increasing  flow. 

So  on  all  the  neighboring  plantations.  Constant 
outdoor  work  developed  fine  constitutions.  The 
muscles  were  so  trained  to  labor  that  by  the  time 
the  negroes  were  fifteen  they  were  efficient  hoe 
hands.  This  constant  recruiting  of  the  hoe  force 
from  beneath  was  followed  by  a  corresponding 
promotion  of  the  larger  boys  to  the  plow.  A  boy 
felt  a  new  importance  when  he  could  walk  straight 
between  the  plow  handles,  and  have  a  mule  to  ride 
to  and  from  his  work,  with  the  additional  privilege 
of  feeding  and  grooming.  The  plow  force  was 
the  measure  of  importance  and  respectability. 
A  planter  was  frequently  spoken  of  as  having  a 

(105) 


I06  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

force  of  so  many  plows,  ten,  twenty,  or  forty 
plows.  These  were  the  degrees  of  dignity  and 
the  measures  of  credit.  These  numbers  helped  to 
rate  the  value  of  his  children  in  the  matrimonial 
market.  They  were  a  fair  index  to  the  number  of 
bales  of  cotton  he  could  place  on  the  market  the 
coming  winter. 

Nearly  every  year  new  hands  were  purchased. 
These  were  bought  from  dealers,  who  kept  up  a 
lively  trade  by  buying  slaves  from  the  border 
states,  where  their  labors  were  less  profitable,  and 
selling  them  down  here  at  a  fair  profit.  Thus, 
with  the  natural  increase,  and  the  influx  of  new 
hands,  the  working  force  of  the  country  was  rap- 
idly growing,  year  after  year. 

New  lands  were  cleared  to  make  room  for  the 
larger  force,  The  forest  disappeared,  and  the 
fields  spread  still  wider  over  the  country.  Where  I 
used  to  catch  rabbits  in  the  thickets  fine  crops  of 
cotton  now  grew.  Each  year  the  number  of  cot- 
ton bales  reached  higher  figures.  The  wagon 
trains  had  to  be  increased,  and  kept  longer  on  the 
road.  Such  was  the  pressure  to  get  the  crop  to 
market,  such  the  hurry  to  get  off  with  another  load 
every  time  the  wagons  returned,  that  I  thought 
Jack  did  not  enjoy  his  preeminence  as  he  did  in 
the  early  times.  The  bells  on  the  mules  were  neg- 
lected; the  wagons  looked  more  worn  and  bat- 
tered;  the  wagoners  had  lost  much  of  their  glee. 

The  love  of  wealth  had  evidently  grown  with  the 
increase  of  riches.     There  was   more  stir,  more 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        I07 

push,  more  anxiety,  all  centering  in  the  greater  ef- 
fort to  make  still  larger  crops.  This  was  natural. 
Wealth  creates  its  own  desires,  erects  its  own  stand- 
ards, and  demands  tribute,  in  some  form,  from 
every  one.  Wealth  gets  to  be  the  standard  of  mer- 
it and  the  passport  to  honor. 

It  was  during  our  school  years  at  the  academy 
that  a  great  industrial  revolution  took  place  in  the 
country.  It  was  the  building  of  railroads.  An 
important  road  was  constructed  through  our  sec- 
tion. This  new  power  brought  still  more  changes. 
The  important  cities  had  now  the  means  of  quick 
and  safe  transportation.  Small  towns  sprang  up 
at  the  depots,  and  inland  cities  began  to  grow  at 
important  points.  The  markets  came  to  our  very 
doors. 

Jack's  trade  went  down.  No  more  wagon  trains, 
with  tinkling  bells.  No  more  camping  out.  No 
more  telling  of  long  stories  by  bright  camp  fires  at 
night,  while  the  mules  are  munching  their  feed 
and  the  owls  are  hooting  in  the  neighboring  wood. 
No  more  great  loads  of  groceries  to  be  stored  away 
as  a  whole  year's  supply.  No  more  new  stories  of 
the  great  river  and  the  fine  boats.  Jack  must 
henceforth,  like  a  retired  soldier,  content  himself 
with  rehearsing  the  adventures  of  the  glorious  past. 
We  may  pardon  a  sigh  for  the  return  of  the  better 
days,  but  to  Jack  those  days  will  come  never 
again. 

With  the  roads  came  brisker  trade,  more  travel, 
more  dress,  more  fashion.     The  newspapers  had 


I08  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

greater  circulation.  With  them  came  a  more  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  other  locahties,  and  a 
more  general  knowledge  of  the  world.  Life  was 
quickened.  Old  methods  seemed  slow.  Steam 
was  now  employed  for  milling,  and  in  some  in- 
stances took  the  place  of  mules  for  ginning. 

The  domestic  industries,  such  as  spinning  and 
weaving  cloth  at  home,  greatly  declined.  Goods 
from  the  large  factories  became  cheaper  than  they 
could  be  made  at  home.  A  woman's  time  was 
now  worth  more  in  the  fields  than  at  the  wheel  or 
loom.  All  available  force  was  employed  to  make 
cotton.  To  grow  cotton,  to  make  money,  to  buy 
negroes  to  grow  cotton,  was  the  regular  orbit  into 
which  the  industry  of  the  country  had  fallen.  In 
the  wild  rush  after  wealth  men  not  only  used  all 
the  money  they  could  make  to  purchase  additional 
slaves,  but  in  many  instances  used  their  credit 
also  for  all  it  would  bring.  Under  the  spur  of 
such  influences  the  country  seemed  to  be  on  the 
road  to  prosperity,  and  to  move  forward  with  a 
bound. 

An  innovation  which  had  already  obtained  in 
other  places  took  place  about  this  time  in  our 
neighborhood.  It  was  the  custom  of  hiring  over- 
seers, a  custom  hated  by  the  slaves,  and  one 
which  greatly  increased  their  labors  and  lessened 
their  mirth.  Of  course  it  would  be  unprofitable 
to  hire  an  overseer  unless  the  farm  made  an  addi- 
tional amount  to  pay  his  wages.  This  meant  more 
work,  earlier  to  the  field,  and  later  to  the  quarters. 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  IO9 

It  meant  dissatisfaction,  and  often  running  away, 
on  the  part  of  the  slaves.  The  planters  themselves 
did  not  much  like  the  custom,  but  it  relieved  them 
of  annoyance,  and  gave  more  time  to  talk  politics 
and  save  the  country. 

During  all  these  years  the  controversy  in  regard 
to  slavery  waxed  warmer  with  each  campaign,  and 
sometimes  the  interest  grew  so  warm  that  there 
was  scarcely  a  lull,  even  between  the  elections. 
Prominent  men,  aspiring  to  high  office,  became 
eloquent  in  demanding  our  "  rights."  Everyman 
who  wanted  the  people's  votes  constituted  himself 
the  champion  of  the  people's  "rights."  He  ap- 
peared uninvited  on  the  field,  as  another  Don 
Quixote,  ready  to  do  or  die  for  our  "rights." 
But  the  more  our  rights  were  defended,  the  more 
restless  people  became.  The  newspapers  were  al- 
ways ready  to  come  to  the  rescue,  and  many  were 
the  learned  "  leaders  "  on  the  all-absorbing  theme 
of  our  "  rights."  Meantime,  while  the  hustings 
and  the  tripod,  with  equal  zeal  and  discretion,  were 
taking  care  of  our  "rights,"  the  country  was 
growing  richer  every  day. 

Finally  the  theme  was  wonderfully  intensified  by 
the  crack  of  the  Sharp's  rifles  in  Kansas,  followed 
by  the  Brown  raid  on  Harper's  Ferry,  in  Virginia. 
These  things  had  the  smack  of  earnestness,  and 
served  to  give  a  very  sharp  point  to  the  discussion. 
The  "  peculiar  institution  "  of  the  South  now  had 
the  ear  of  the  nation,  not  to  say  of  the  nations, 
and  was  of  world-wide  interest.     The  parties  to  the 


no  SAM   WILLIAMS. 

great  controvesy  on  either  side  were  growing  more 
confident  and  more  defiant.  They  could  afford  to 
be  defiant,  as  they  were  usually  about  a  thousand 
miles  apart.  But  the  excitement  was  assuming 
colossal  proportions.  The  battle  of  the  giants  was 
on  the  boards  of  fate,  and  events  mdicated  an  ear- 
ly rise  of  the  curtain. 

Now  all  these  things  did  not  disturb  me  in  my 
quiet  studies  in  the  academy.  They  are  mentioned 
here  to  show  how  the  country  was  advancing  in 
making  money  and  taking  care  of  our  "  rights  " 
while  I  was  advancing  in  my  studies  and  on  to 
manhood. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Still  AT  School. 

THE  years  passed  and  changes  came  to  us  as 
well  as  to  our  school.  We  grew  in  size  and 
in  knowledge,  and  the  school  grew  in  numbers 
and  in  usefulness.  Another  and  better  house  was 
added.  This  was  appropriated  to  the  girls.  A 
lady  of  fine  accomplishments  was  placed  in  charge. 
Better  methods  gradually  prevailed,  and  better 
work  was  done  by  the  students.  Our  teacher  was 
a  master  in  his  business,  and  our  school  became 
one  of  the  best. 

During  the  vacation  John  Henderson  worked 
with  his  father  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  that  he 
might  have  the  means  of  continuing^  at  school. 
This  was  the  cause  of  extreme  disgust  on  the  part 
of  Dolph,  and  a  few  others  like-minded.  But 
John's  position  at  school  was  no  longer  doubtful. 
Merit  wins,  the  world  over.  John  felt  the  need  of 
education,  and  was  putting  the  sweat  of  his  brow 
into  the  culture  of  his  brain,  and  felt  that  he  had 
no  time  to  be  idle.  Dolph  soon  found  that  John 
was  pushing  him  on  every  line  of  study.  John 
was  a  spur  to  us  all.  But  Dolph  seemed  to  regard 
it  as  an  infringement  of  time-honored  prerogative 
for  this  "  poor  upstart "  to  pass  him  in  his  studies. 
He  seemed  to  think  that  wealth  ought  to  give  him 

(111) 


112  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

the  advancement  without  the  labor  of  brain.  But 
if  Dolph's  disposition  grew  murky,  John's  did  not 
become  sour. 

He  was  one  of  the  brightest,  most  cheerful,  and 
manly  boys  in  school.  As  the  years  went  by  he 
grew  in  manly  beauty  as  well  as  in  all  the  accom- 
plishments of  the  mind.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  he  was  one  of  the  most  popular  boys  in  school. 
First  in  play,  first  in  study,  first  in  the  hearts  of  his 
companions.  Thus  he  had  at  least  some  resem- 
blance to  the  great  "  father  of  his  country."  For 
one  to  be  a  leader  in  any  group,  community,  or 
nation,  he  must  excel  in  what  his  fellows  want 
most  to  do.  John  met  these  requirements ;  he  was 
foremost  in  study  and  in  every  sport  on  the  play- 
ground. It  was  in  the  third  year  after  we  entered 
school  that  Dolph's  continued  dislike  for  John 
came  to  an  open  rupture.  John  was  then  about 
sixteen,  and  Dolph  was  about  one  year  older. 
The  boys  had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  abbreviating 
a  great  many  words,  especially  each  other's  names. 
In  this  they  were  simply  following  the  genius  of 
their  mother  tongue.  The  tendency  is  to  shorten 
words,  and  to  use  short  words  in  preference  to 
long  ones.  This  is  seen  in  nearly  all  the  best 
writers  of  the  language.  Words  of  half  a  dozen 
syllables  have  a  slim  chance  to  live  in  English. 
The  Latin  races  may  delight  in  long,  sonorous 
words;  the  Saxon  never.  Well,  one  day  on  the 
playground,  when  the  game  of  ball  was  at  its  high- 
est pitch,  John,  wishing  to  get  the  ball  in  time  to 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  II3 

cross  out  a  boy  on  the  opposite  side,  in  the  glow  of 
excitement  shouted  to  his  companions :  ' '  There  it  is 
by  Dolph  Park !  ' '  Dolph  straightened  himself 
up  to  his  full  height,  and  swelling  his  breast  out  to 
its  largest  dimensions,  exclaimed;  "  I'll  have  you 
to  know,  young  upstart,  my  name  is  not  Dolph 
Park."  John  was  so  intent  on  the  game  that  he 
did  not  see  that  Dolph  had  taken  offense,  and 
went  right  on  playing  till  his  attention  was  directed 
to  Dolph.  Then  in  the  most  complete  good  hu- 
mor, in  the  abandon  of  excitement,  while  his  face 
wore  a  hearty  smile,  he  said:  "  What  is  it,  Dolph 
Park?  "  Thus  unwittingly  he  committed  the  same 
offense  the  second  time.  Dolph's  anger  was  at 
white  heat.  He  almost  hissed  the  words:  "111 
make  you  know,  you  scoundrel,  my  name  is  not 
Dolph  Park."  John  was  taken  completely  by 
surprise.  The  colors  chased  each  other  over  his 
countenance  for  an  instant,  then  the  look  of  deter- 
mination which  was  habitual  to  him  when  in  ear- 
nest settled  down  to  about  a  three-ply  thickness 
on  his  visage.  He  faced  his  wrathful  assailant  and 
with  a  bow  of  mock  humility  and  obeisance,  and 
with  manner  and  tone  most  defiant  and  provoking, 
he  replied:  "Mr.  Adolphus  Parker,  your  humble 
servant  begs  a  thousand  pardons."  The  manner 
was  so  dignified  and  the  ring  of  the  voice  so  sig- 
nificant that  the  boys  gave  a  lusty  cheer.  This  was 
the  "  unkindest  cut  of  all,"  for  Dolph  most  highly 
prized  his  influence  over  the  boys.  This,  he  saw, 
was  about  to  be  lost.     He  was  furious.     But  just 


114  ^-^^    WILLIAMS: 

then  the  bell  rang  for  books,  and  that  ended  the 
matter  for  the  time. 

That  evening  as  we  were  going  home,  when  we 
reached  the  fork  of  the  road  where  the  Aliens 
were  to  leave  us,  we  were  thrown  into  a  state  of 
perturbation  by  the  rapid  approach  of  Dolph  Par- 
ker along  the  road  on  his  pony,  overtaking  us. 
Dolph  frequently  rode  to  school.  He  had  done  so 
that  day.  It  is  evident  that  he  stayed  about  the 
schoolhouse  till  all  were  gone,  and  then  set  out  to 
overtake  us.  There  was  no  time  to  do  anything, 
not  even  to  get  Susie  and  Minnie  out  of  the  way. 
John  saw  we  were  all  excited,  and  asked  us  not  to 
interfere,  but  to  let  him  manage  the  case.  He  was 
so  calm,  and  talked  so  much  like  business,  that  we 
were  all  tolerably  well  assured,  and  awaited 
events.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  interfere  if 
necessary  to  prevent  John  from  being  badly  hurt. 
Feeling  some  concern,  I  looked  around  for  Susie, 
but  found  she  was  about  as  much  composed  as 
any  of  us. 

When  Dolph  came  up  he  dismounted  with  a 
most  self-conscious  flourish.  "Well,  Mr.  Hen- 
derson," he  began,  "I  feel  it  my  duty,  sir,  to  ad- 
minister to  you  a  severe  chastisement."  This 
speech  had  evidently  been  prepared  for  the  occa- 
sion. It  was  delivered  with  a  pompous  air,  in  ac- 
cord with  the  pompous  language.  That's  the  way 
his  father  talked.  He  was  putting  on  the  parental 
style  with  as  little  regard  for  fit  as  if  he  were  don- 
ning the  parental  wardrobe.     The  average  school- 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        II5 

boy  never  talks  that  way.  His  language  on  such 
an  occasion  would  have  been,  "  I'm  going  to  give 
you  a  lickin'  "  or  *' one  of  us  has  got  to  be 
whipped."  Not  so  Dolph;  he  was  to  administer 
*'  chastisement." 

When  John  saw  that  a  iight  was  inevitable,  the 
same  determined  look  settled  on  his  face.  His 
eye  was  a  study.  He  assumed  the  same  manner 
of  mock  humility.  His  voice  was  so  near  the  nat- 
ural tone  that  one  not  well  acquainted  with  him 
would  be  in  doubt  whether  he  meant  what  he 
said,  or  the  exact  opposite.  He  pleaded  that  the 
rules  of  school  forbade  fighting;  that  fighting  was 
not  to  his  liking;  was  not  the  best  way  to  settle 
difficulties;  and  that  no  offense  was  intended  on 
the  playground.  Dolph  replied:  **  Think  not,  sir, 
that  your  pusillanimous  hide  can  escape  through 
the  regulations  of  the  school.  Offended  honor 
knows  no  such  regulations."  Without  further 
parley,  as  if  afraid  his  resolution  would  escape 
through  his  long  words,  he  made  at  the  object  of 
0  his  wrath.  John  partly  dodged  and  partly  parried 
**  the  intended  blow  with  his  left  hand,  while  with 
right  he  planted  a  clear  square  blow  right  about 
Dolph's  ear.  The  blow  came  straight  out  from 
the  shoulder,  and  with  such  force  that  Dolph  stag- 
gered under  it.  This  advantage  was  followed  up 
with  blows  which  came  so  fast  and  with  such  ef- 
fect that  Dolph  was  completely  unnerved.  He 
could  do  nothing  but  stagger  about,  and  would 
have  fallen  had    not  John    checked  up.     Seeing 


Il6  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

that  Dolph  could  make  no  further  resistance,  he 
stopped.  "Why,  Dolph,"  he  said,  "is  this  the 
way  you  administer  chastisement?  Is  this  the  way 
pusillanimous  hides  are  tanned  in  your  shop?  I 
suppose  offended  honor  is  now  satisfied."  But 
Dolph  had  no  time  for  chatting  just  then.  He 
made  for  his  pony,  which,  by  the  way,  had  fed  off 
at  some  distance,  wholly  unmindful  of  his  master's 
adventures.  Never  was  a  boy  more  surprised 
than  Dolph.  He  was  older  and  larger  than  John. 
To  "administer  chastisement"  to  him  was  evi- 
dently considered  mere  pastime.  But  John's  right 
arm  had  not  pushed  the  jack  plane  and  wielded 
the  handsaw  and  hammer  for  nothing.  There 
was  in  his  make-up  a  combination  of  mind  and 
muscle  that  was  admirable  to  witness. 

After  Dolph  left  we  held  a  counsel  and  agreed  to 
keep  the  fight  a  secret,  provided  Dolph  said  noth- 
ing about  it.  Next  morning  Dolph  was  in  school 
like  nothing  had  happened.  Fortunately,  his 
bruises  were  not  hard  to  hide,  and  no  one  had  any 
suspicion  of  the  fight.  I  never  knew  anything  to 
improve  a  person  like  that  whipping  improved 
Dolph.  He  almost  became  amiable !  His  polite- 
ness and  deference  to  John  were  shown  on  all  oc- 
casions. To  the  few  who  had  and  kept  the  secret, 
this  was  a  source  of  constant  amusement. 

By  the  fourth  year  of  our  school  life  John  was 
fairly  ahead  in  all  studies.  He  was  an  earnest 
speaker,  a  shrewd  debater,  and  an  exact  thinker. 
He  was   a  recognized   leader   in   all   our  mental 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  II7 

labors.  The  speaking  every  Friday  afternoon 
proved  to  be  of  great  advantage  to  us  all.  We 
learned  to  express  our  thoughts  readily  and  with- 
out embarrassment.  On  these  occasions  the  two 
departments  were  brought  together.  The  pres- 
ence of  the  girls  was  a  great  stimulus.  Likewise, 
when  the  girls  had  concerts,  as  they  did  nearly 
every  week,  we  were  not  only  expected  to  be  pres- 
ent, but  to  take  part  in  the  singing.  Every  girl 
was  taught  music.  To  perform  well  was  regarded 
as  the  highest  accomplishment.  Therefore  the 
girls  were  put  to  music  early,  and  kept  at  it 
throughout  the  school  course.  When  they  were 
sent  off  to  finish  their  education,  as  was  often  the 
case,  it  meant  mainly  some  extra  touches  in  music. 
With  or  without  talent  the  girl  must  be  taught  to 
perform  on  the  piano.  It  was  the  universal  ac- 
complishment. 

The  years  passed  rapidly,  and  almost  before  we 
were  aware  of  it  we  were  ready  to  begin  our  last 
year  at  the  academy.  The  boys  in  my  classes 
would  be  ready  at  the  end  of  the  year  to  enter 
college.  But  John,  to  be  able  to  go  to  college, 
found  it  necessary  to  spend  at  least  one  year  at 
work  with  his  father.  This  was  a  great  hardship. 
There  was  danger  that  he  might  not  be  able  to 
stand  his  examination.  To  lose  a  whole  year  out 
of  school  just  at  this  time  was  most  unfortunate. 
John  was  greatly  perplexed,  but  not  discouraged. 
Poverty  is  inexorable,  but  John's  resolution  was 
equal  to  the  emergency.     He  determined,  by  study- 


Il8  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

ing  at  night  and  at  odd  times,  to  keep  up  with  his 
class  while  working  at  his  trade,  and  thus,  in  spite 
of  difficulties,  to  be  ready  to  enter  college  with  his 
class.  Whenever  opportunity  offered,  the  teacher 
was  to  give  him  help. 

Mr.  Henderson  found  very  profitable  work  erect- 
ing cotton  presses  and  building  ginhouses.  This 
year  he  had  a  contract  to  make  important  addi- 
tions to  Maj.  Allen's  dwelling.  In  all  these  labors 
John  was  his  most  eflicient  help. 

This  last  year  of  our  academic  life  passed  with- 
out any  special  or  unusual  interest.  Dolph  was 
now  about  nineteen,  well  grown;  pompous  in  ap- 
pearance and  language,  and  evidently  enjoyed  a 
very  high  opinion  of  himself.  I  think  he  was 
really  glad  John  had  quit  school.  An  unpleasant 
reminder  was  thus  removed.  Then  it  left  him  the 
semblance  of  his  old  superiority. 

Meanwhile  Susie  was  growing  more  and  more 
beautiful.  This  was  a  cause  for  congratulation. 
This  was  not  to  be  taken  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Feminine  growth  does  not  always  follow  this  rule. 
Indeed,  whether  it  is  the  rule  or  the  exception  for 
pretty  girls  to  make  beautiful  women,  is  an  open 
question.  The  celebrated  budding  period,  when 
the  girl  begins  to  bud  and  blossom  into  woman- 
hood, is  often  the  period  that  brings  out  hidden 
tendencies  which  soon  develop  into  ugliness.  The 
class  of  pretty  "  Preps."  will  not,  by  any  means, 
turn  out  a  class  of  uniformly  beautiful  graduates. 
Some  will  be  too  low,  some  too  tall,  others  will  be 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         II9 

too  thin,  while  yet  others  will  be  too  stout.  Some 
will  be  stooped  and  others  angular.  Some  will 
have  rough  complexions  or  coarse  features,  while 
a  very  few  will  be  faultless  both  in  figure  and  feat- 
ures. Such  was  Susie.  She  had,  from  the  first, 
been  a  diligent  student,  and  had  taken  on  accom- 
plishments as  by  natural  affinity. 

Dick  Webb  had  maintained  a  high  standard 
throughout.  Dolph  was  at  least  respectable  in  his 
average  standing  as  a  student.  The  brightest  one 
of  us  all  was  John  Henderson,  struggling  against 
hard  fate  and  by  extra  efforts  bringing  up  his  stud- 
ies in  a  manner,  so  the  teacher  told  us,  to  be  able 
with  the  rest  of  us  to  enter  college. 

Finally,  the  academic  studies  were  completed. 
The  last  day  of  the  school  came,  and  the  teacher 
had  all  the  boys  in  my  class  to  come  forward  to  re- 
ceive his  farewell  advice.  At  the  close  of  a  good 
lecture,  he  assured  us  we  were  now  ready  to  enter 
college.  We  all  felt  a  new  sense  of  importance. 
We  were  sure  that  fortune  was  getting  ready  to 
open  her  finest  gate  for  us  to  enter. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Vacation. 

WE  entered  upon  this  vacation  with  special 
rehsh.  It  was  more  to  us  than  others  had 
been.  It  was  the  gap  between  our  Academic  and 
College  studies.  We  had  now  arrived  at  the  age 
when  the  genus  homo  begins  the  important  task  of 
putting  off  the  boy  and  taking  on  the  man.  This 
is  done  on  the  principle  of  natural  development, 
somewhat  in  the  same  manner  that  the  batrachian 
reaches  his  growth,  by  throwing  off  and  sending 
out.  We  were  now  throwing  off  our  boyish  natu- 
ralness and  sending  out  beards,  the  latter  of 
rather  slow  growth. 

I  was  now  eighteen.  Up  to  this  time,  life,  to 
me,  had  been  as  limpid  as  a  mountain  brook,  se- 
cluded from  freshets  and  fed  by  perennial  springs. 
The  one  purpose  had  been  to  get  onward.  To 
reach  manhood  seemed  to  be  the  fruition  of  all 
hope.  I  was  now  on  the  borders  of  that  myste- 
rious and  long-anticipated  period,  yet  I  cannot 
say  that  I  felt  like  one  who  was  approaching  a 
haven  of  perfect  satisfaction.  The  long-desired 
country  was  just  before  me,  but  obscuring  clouds 
and  mists  hung  over  the  landscape.  A  tremor  of 
uncertainty  and  something  like  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt  toned  the  buo3^ancy  of  my  expectations. 
" 'Tis  ever  thus"  when  the  fondest  hope,  the 
C120) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        121 

sweetest  anticipation  of  life  has  not  yet  become  a 
settled  reality. 

Susie  Brantlett  was  sixteen,  and  was  as  lovable 
as  she  was  beautiful.  The  graces  of  culture  were 
visible  in  every  feature,  and  added  charm  to  every 
movement.  The  elasticity  of  health  was  in  every 
finely  chiseled  member.  In  her  clear  blue  eyes 
was  the  perfect  blending  of  softness  and  brilliancy. 
Her  hair  was  dark,  soft,  and  abundant;  and  when 
she  wore  it  flowing,  it  was  indeed  a  charm  of  love- 
liness. The  delicate  tracery  of  veins  made  visible 
by  the  transparency  of  her  complexion  gave  prop- 
er finish  to  superior  beauty.  Hers  was  a  face  in 
which  all  emotions  were  plainly  visible.  She  was 
moderately  tall,  of  medium  size,  well-formed, 
erect,  splendidly  poised.  Her  voice  was  clear,  soft, 
musical.  The  delicately  finished  hand  was  a  thing 
of  beauty.  She  was  a  lady  of  the  finest  type,  and 
Southern  in  every  fiber  of  her  nature:  a  true 
representative  of  the  type  so  much  admired  by 
Southern  men.  Of  course  she  was  a  general  fa- 
vorite. This  was  gratifying,  and  yet,  it  was  a 
source  of  uneasiness.  Her  beauty  and  her  intel- 
lect, so  dear  to  me,  made  a  prize  which  others 
would  attempt  to  possess.  The  very  thought  was 
like  a  sword  of  double  keenness.  The  very  fact 
that  we  were  soon  to  be  separated  was  a  source  of 
constant  anxiety.  I  was  to  go  to  college  and  she 
was  to  attend  a  "finishing  school."  I  could  not 
but  hope  that  this  would  not  be  the  blighting  of 
my  fondest  aspirations. 


122  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

During  this  vacation  I  became  conscious  that  a 
great  poHtical  excitement  was  agitating  the  coun- 
try. Men  seemed  unusually  restless.  Gatherings 
were  more  frequent.  Public  speaking  was  epi- 
demic. The  great  Democratic  party,  for  the  first 
time  in  its  history,  had  two  candidates  in  the  field 
for  the  presidency.  This  divided  neighbors  whose 
political  opinions  had  always  been  the  same.  The 
party  became  two  contending  factions.  Each  fac- 
tion claimed  to  be  the  true  party,  and  tried  by  ar- 
guments, earnest  and  vociferous,  to  convince  the 
other.  But  the  noisy  disputants  only  served  to 
make  the  division  more  complete.  Each  faction 
became  more  confirmed  by  controversy.  All  par- 
ties were  trying  to  save  the  country.  This  was 
the  theme  on  all  occasions,  the  speakers  becom- 
ing more  vehement  and  abusive  as  the  magnitude 
of  the  undertaking  became  more  apparent. 

Col.  Parker  was  an  important  speaker.  He  was 
going  to  have  his  "  rights."  He  had  suffered  out- 
rages too  long  already.  Patience  was  no  longer  a 
virtue.  One  day  at  the  village  store,  when  several 
neighbors  had  met,  he  was,  as  usual,  waxing  warm 
on  this  theme.  Mr.  Brantlett,''in  a  very  quiet  tone, 
requested  him  to  name  the  rights  of  which  he  had 
been  deprived.  He  was  going  to  have  the  right, 
he  said,  to  carry  slaves  into  any  part  of  the  Union 
without  danger  of  molestation.  He  was  deter- 
mined that  the  people  of  the  South  should  have 
the  right  to  establish  slavery  in  any  territory  with 
perfect  impunity.     Mr.   Brantlett  replied  that  by 


A  TALE   OF   THE  OLD   SOUTH.  1 23 

such  agitation  we  were  in  danger  of  losing  the 
right  to  keep  slaves  at  home.  But  this  only  pro- 
voked a  storm  of  invectives,  and  for  the  sake  of 
peace  among  neighbors  Mr.  Brantlett  said  no 
more. 

The  very  young  men,  like  myself,  Dolph  Par- 
ker, Dick  Webb,  and  the  Allen  boys,  left  the  sav- 
ing of  the  country  to  the  older  heads,  while  we 
tried  to  have  the  best  time  possible.  We  frequent- 
ly had  impromptu  gatherings  at  each  other's  homes. 
In  fact,  such  meetings  were  necessary  to  take  up 
our  spare  time.  True,  we  could  fish  or  hunt  or 
attend  political  meetings,  which  were  very  plentiful 
and  stormy.  We  attended  church  nearly  every 
Sabbath.  A  good  deal  of  time  was  taken  up  in 
reading.    Still  we  had  ample  time  left  for  social  life. 

One  beautiful  summer  day  we  met  at  Maj.  Al- 
len's. Susie  Brantlett  and  Julia  Parker  were  pres- 
ent. Music  and  conversation  were  made  doubly 
sweet  by  the  exuberant  life  and  buoyant  hopes  of 
youth.  It  is  not  strange  that  we  were  having  a 
delightful  time.  But  there  was  one  thought  con- 
stantly present  which  brought  something  like  a 
tinge  of  sadness  tQ  my  mind.  It  was  the  fact  that 
John  Henderson,  who  had  so  long  been  our  chum, 
was  hard  at  work  in  our  hearing.  The  spacious 
residence  was  receiving  important  additions,  and 
the  Hendersons  were  doing  the  work.  I  had 
learned  to  appreciate  John's  noble  qualities  so 
highly  that  his  isolation  from  our  society  made 
me  sad. 


124  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

The  parlor  door  opened  out  on  a  pleasant  veran- 
da. By  the  most  natural  impulse  we  all  walked 
out  to  enjoy  the  cool  breeze  and  look  at  the  flow- 
ers. Just  beyond  the  fence  which  divided  the 
back  yard  from  the  front,  and  in  easy  speaking 
distance,  we  saw  John,  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  soiled 
with  labor,  carrying  on  his  shoulder  long  planks 
to  be  used  in  the  building.  I  did  not  look  to  see, 
but  suspected  that  Dolph's  lip  was  curled  in  scorn. 
I  heard  him  ask  Miss  Minnie  if  she  was  not  an- 
noyed by  the  carpenters.  There  was  a  peculiar 
accent  on  carpenters.  I  thought  I  discovered  a 
slight  blush  on  Miss  Minnie's  face,  as  she  replied: 
"  No,  I  rather  like  the  noise,  and  I  frequently  go 
in  to  see  the  work  progressing."  Dolph  bit  his 
lip  and  said  no  more. 

But  if  I  felt  commiseration  for  John,  he  certain- 
ly seemed  to  feel  none  for  himself.  In  a  suit  evi- 
dently kept  for  the  purpose,  he  appeared  at  the 
dinner  table,  the  gayest  of  the  gay.  Not  one  of 
us  could  talk  with  more  intelligence.  It  seemed 
strangest  of  all  that  he  could  come  from  rough 
work  into  our  circle  without  the  least  embarrass- 
ment. He  did  not  underestimate  himself  because 
of  hard  conditions.  Nor  did  he  overestimate  oth- 
ers on  account  of  accidental  advantages. 

His  manners  were  exceptionably  fine.  He  was 
ever  watchful  for  the  convenience  and  happiness 
of  others.  In  those  delicate  attentions  and  in  the 
chaste  and  elegant  conversation  so  much  appre- 
ciated by  ladies,   he  was    especially  gifted.     He 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  I25 

told  US  how  he  was  progressing  with  his  studies, 
and  that  he  was  hopeful  of  being  able  to  enter 
college  with  the  rest  of  us.  Mrs.  Allen  commend- 
ed his  diligence  in  overcoming  difficulties.  His 
reply  was  characteristic:  "  One  who  receives  little 
from  the  labor  of  others  needs  to  be  doubly  dili- 
gent in  his  own  labors." 

When  dinner  was  over,  and  while  we  still  lin- 
gered at  the  table,  John  rose  from  his  seat,  re- 
marking that  it  was  time  for  him  to  go  to  work, 
and,  asking  Mrs.  Allen  to  excuse  him,  took  leave 
of  us  with  a  dignity  that  would  have  done  honor 
to  Chesterfield. 

In  the  afternoon  Dolph  and  Minnie  strolled 
among  the  flowers  in  the  front  yard.  Dick  Webb 
and  Julia  Parker  found  retreat  in  the  summer 
house,  while  Ben  and  Joe  solaced  themselves  with 
books  or  a  nap.  This  left  me  alone  with  Susie. 
I  thought  she  never  looked  so  beautiful.  Her  vi- 
vacity was  perfectly  charming.  She  was  as  cor- 
dial as  I  could  expect,  but  somehow  I  felt  that  she 
was  more  distant.  I  felt  my  own  manner  re- 
strained. The  truth  is,  we  were  no  longer  chil- 
dren. Susie  was  now  a  young  lady.  This  very 
fact  seemed  to  make  her  coy,  and  made  me  awk- 
ward. I  realized  that,  without  any  estrangement 
of  feeling,  an  invisible  barrier  had  risen  between 
us.  I  began  to  see  that  a  woman  cannot  be  claimed 
on  the  ground  of  preemption.  Though  we  had 
been  playmates  from  earliest  childhood,  and  though 
the  tenderest  feeling  had  always  existed  between 


126  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

US,   she  was   now  as  free  as  she  was  lovely,   and 
must  be  wooed  and  won  if  she  was  ever  really  to  be 
mine.     Every  woman  wants  to  be  courted  before 
she  consents  to  be  married.     When  she  makes  the 
most  important  gift  that  a  woman  can  make,  the  gift 
of  herself,  she   wants  to  feel  that  it  is  by  her  own 
volition  and  in  response  to  the  most  earnest  and 
honest  solicitation.     We  walked  among  the  shrub- 
bery and  toyed  with  the  flowers,  unmindful  that 
the  long  afternoon  had  passed  and  that  the  evening 
shadows   were    already    settling    down    upon    us. 
Her  every  movement  was  a  model  of  grace;  her 
words  were  more  than  music;   her  laugh  was  the 
ripple  of  ecstatic  sweetness.     I  felt  that  she  was 
the  very  soul  of  purity,  the  essence  of  loveliness. 
To  possess  her  was  to  have  an  inestimable  gift  of 
Deity.     I  instinctively  felt  that  to  bring  anything 
less  than  the  purest  motives  to  such  a  shrine  as 
this  would  be  wounding  to  the  highest  attributes 
of  my  nature.     In  the  glow  of  this  love  my  ideal  of 
life  was  heightened,  and  I  had  a  higher  concep- 
tion of  womanhood  and  manhood  than  ever  before. 
To  measure  up  to  this  ideal,  and  become  worthy 
of  the  object  of  my  adoration,  and  to  possess  this 
treasure   of  womanly  loveliness,  was  the   resolve 
deep  down  in  my  nature  that  quiet  evening. 

With  such  feeling  and  such  resolve  life  had  now 
a  new  meaning  and  a  grander  purpose.  In  a 
dream  of  ecstacy  I  returned  to  my  home  after  es- 
corting Susie  to  hers.  That  night  I  slept  on  the 
borders  of  enchanted  ground  which  must  be  akin 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  1 27 

to  heaven.  Next  morning  in  the  very  exuberance 
of  life  I  walked  through  the  forest  and  seemed  to 
have  a  sweeter  communion  with  nature  than 
ever  before.  Why  I  went  toward  Mr.  Brantlett's 
the  reader  can  probably  guess,  but  I  did  not  set 
out  with  that  intention.  To  go  by  there  would 
probably  have  been  the  nearest,  or  at  least  the  best, 
way  anywhere.  I  took  that  direction,  and  kept  it, 
till  I  found  myself  passing  the  house.  To  my 
great  joy,  I  saw  Susie,  even  at  that  early  hour,  out 
in  the  flower  yard.  In  her  straw  hat  and  white 
apron,  her  cheeks  aglow  with  the  fresh  air  and 
busy  work,  I  thought  that  of  all  the  daughters  of 
Eve  she  was  surely  the  most  beautiful.  The 
flowers  were  gay  with  rich  profusion,  rejoicing  in 
the  morning  light.  In  vain  they  tried  to  rival  the 
beauty  of  the  nymph  divinely  fair,  who  was  teach- 
ing them  the  art  of  superior  loveliness.  It  was  a 
picture  not  to  be  disturbed,  and  so  I  passed  by  un- 
noticed. Under  the  inspiration  of  that  hour  my 
thoughts  fell  into  rhyme,  and  this  was  the  result: 

My  Nymph  among  the  Flowers. 

When  lovely  summer's  finest  tone 

Had  deeply  touched  the  leafy  bowers, 

The  poet's  charm  was  o'er  me  thrown 
By  my  sweet  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

The  morn  in  beauty's  fairest  sheen 
Had  wrapped  this  lovely  land  of  ours, 

And  walking  forth  in  nature's  green 
I  saw  my  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

The  shades  of  light  in  dewdrops  glowed, 
The  birds  made  music  in  the  bowers, 


128  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

And  life's  sweet  symphonies  there  flowed, 
Around  my  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

And  nature's  beauties  climbed  to  sight 

Like  corals  in  the  ocean's  dowers, 
And  greeting,  filled  the  waving  light 

Around  my  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

In  vain  their  charms  of  beauty  flowed, 
In  grass  or  blooms  or  leafy  towers, 

The  sweetest  of  life's  graces  glowed — 
My  lovely  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

Of  all  that's  i-are  by  nature  brought. 

When  winter's  storm  no  longer  lowers, 

There's  naught  compares  with  that  that's  wrought, 
In  my  fair  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

What  if  the  poet,  lucky  shrimp! 

While  pleasures  speed  on  golden  hours, 
Does  charm  and  hold  that  lovely  nymph, 

The  nymph  I  saw  among  the  flowers. 

And  now  my  little  song  I'll  close, 
And  leave  it  to  the  fair  one's  powers, 

To  guess  both  where  and  when  it  was 
I  saw  my  nymph  among  the  flowers. 

But  should  she  wish  to  see  the  elf, 

She  need  but  try  the  mirror's  powers. 

And  there  she'll  see  the  nymph's  own  self. 
The  nymph  I  saw  among  the  flowers. 

It  was  charming  to  witness  the  shy  blush  which, 
in  spite  of  her  effort  to  conceal,  spread  in  lovely 
wavelets  over  Susie's  features  as  she  read  these 
verses,  and  pretended  not  to  know  who  was  meant 
by  the  "Nymph  among  the  Flowers." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Mr.  Wilson. 

DURING  this  vacation  the  young  men  were 
pushing  forward  a  social  revolution  that  for 
some  time  had  been  progressing.  It  was  no  less 
than  getting  the  young  ladies  out  of  the  aristocratic 
family  carriages  and  taking  them  to  church  in  sin- 
gle buggies.  Why  this  had  not  been  done  all  the 
time,  I  do  not  understand.  But  having  a  taste  of 
the  better  method,  we,  by  persistence,  so  far  suc- 
ceeded as  to  carry  our  point,  and  the  girls  too. 
So  I  had  the  inestimable  privilege  nearly  every 
Sabbath  of  escorting  Susie  out  to  church. 

The  young  men  had  now  two  reasons  for  attend- 
ing divine  services.  First,  they  could  have  the  girls 
with  them,  going  and  returning.  It  must  be  con- 
fessed that  this  was  a  potent  reason.  We  were 
now  all  punctual  church-goers.  I  was  especially 
zealous !  But,  in  the  second  place,  the  earnest  elo- 
quence of  our  new  pastor,  Mr.  Wilson,  was  at- 
tracting great  attention.  This  is  saying  much,  for 
just  at  that  time  it  was  difficult  for  anything  outside 
of  politics  to  gain  much  notice.  It  was  well  to 
have  something  to  divert  the  mind  from  the  all-ab- 
sorbing themes  of  the  hustings. 

The  lectures  at  school  had  especially  prepared 
us  to   appreciate  Mr.  Wilson.     Mr.  Dunbar  v/as 
9  (129) 


130  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

himself  a  lover  of  nature.  He  had  pointed  out  the 
existence  and  all-pervading  influence  of  her  laws. 
He  had  dwelt  on  her  beauty  and  unfolded  to  our 
minds  the  relations  of  her  forces.  Thus  the  desire 
for  knowledge  had  by  being  partially  satisfied  be- 
come doubly  eager. 

Mr.  Wilson's  capacity  for  presenting  ideas  in  at- 
tractive form  was  truly  wonderful.  He  was  re- 
markable for  breadth  of  view  and  beauty  of  image- 
ry. Whatever  his  theme,  he  never  failed  to  catch 
the  rays  of  relation  which  showed  connection  with 
all  else.  Faith,  repentance,  conversion,  or  holy 
living,  did  not  stand  off  isolated.  These  were  acts 
and  relations  in  perfect  accord  with  all  life  and  all 
being.  We  touch  and  are  touched  by  the  infinite 
variety,  and  are  parts  of  the  grand  unity  which 
embraces  all.  Spiritual  life  is  as  much  in  accord 
with  the  universe  as  natural  life.  He  claimed  that 
it  is  misleading  to  say  natural  life  as  distinguished 
from  spiritual,  for  all  life  is  natural. 

One  sermon  impressed  me  ver}'-  much.  It  was 
the  "Vision  of  Divine  Glory,  or  the  Picture  of 
Providence,"  based  on  the  first  chapter  of  Ezekiel. 
I  was  surprised  that  so  much  thought  and  beauty 
could  be  drawn  from  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel.  I 
had  thought  that  the  book  Avas  well  symbolized  by 
its  own  valley  of  dry  bones ;  but,  listening  to  Mr. 
Wilson,  I  concluded  that  the  dryness  was  in  my 
own  mind.  The  prophet,  he  said,  was  in  captivi- 
ty; his  own  land  and  venerated  city  were  in  ruins; 
the  chosen  people  languished  under  the  rod  of  the 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        I31 

oppressor.  It  was  natural  that  he  should  study  the 
mysteries  of  Providence.  By  the  river  of  Chebar 
he  was  engaged  in  the  most  intense  devotion.  His 
mind  was  all  aglow  with  the  prophetic  fire.  He 
was  prepared  to  see  visions.  A  whirlwind,  the 
harbinger  of  revelation,  came  out  of  the  north. 
He  saw  a  cloud  the  color  of  amber,  having  the  ap- 
pearance of  fire  infolding  itself.  The  fiery  cloud 
seemed  to  be  dissolving,  but  still  kept  entire. 
Such  is  providence.  Things  seem  to  be  held  with 
an  unsteady  purpose.  Apparent  wastes  are  every- 
where seen.  Chance  and  accident  seem  to  fall  to 
the  lot  of  men,  and  largely  to  influence  the  course 
of  things.     Yet  nature  holds  entire. 

Nothing,  however  small,  ever  falls  out  of  na- 
ture's grasp.  Combinations  are  forever  changing. 
Organisms  grow  and  decay.  Old  races  die  out 
and  new  ones  spring  into  life.  But  nature  never 
grows  old.  She  loses  none  of  her  freshness,  none 
of  her  potency,  by  the  lapse  of  ages.  When  vast 
eras  pass  before  the  mental  vision,  and  we  see  that 
the  wholeness  of  nature  is  still  unimpaired,  we  per- 
ceive that  chance  and  accident  have  no  place  in 
the  allotment  of  things.  As  the  eye  of  the  mind 
passes  along  the  ages,  we  take  in  the  great  fact 
that  laws  stronger  than  fate  and  gentler  than  an  in- 
fant's breathing  control  everything  in  the  domain 
of  being.  As  the  grand  procession  of  things 
marches  along  by  us,  the  mind  is  impressed  with 
the  absolute  unity  of  all  that  exists.  A  combina- 
tion of  purposes  is  perceptible  in  all  being. 


132  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

In  the  cloud  was  the  appearance  of  four  living 
creatures.  These  were  cherubim,  symbols  of 
divine  glory.  They  were  composite  beings  to  de- 
note the  different  qualities  of  divine  government. 
Each  had  four  faces:  that  of  a  man,  a  lion,  an  ox, 
an  eagle.  These  indicated  intelligence,  strength, 
patience,  movement.  Such  are  the  elements  of 
providence.  Intelligence  that  never  makes  mis- 
takes, never  experiments;  strength  that  never 
fails ;  patience  that  never  wearies ;  and  movement 
never  out  of  time. 

By  the  living  creatures  were  wheels  whose 
height  was  "  dreadful."  There  was  the  appear- 
ance of  a  "  wheel  in  the  middle  of  awheel."  Na- 
ture is  orbital,  circular,  globular.  The  worlds 
move  in  orbits;  life  and  being  have  circulation; 
matter  naturally  forms  into  globes.  Good  words 
and  works  go  forth  to  bless  the  world,  and  then 
return  in  blessings  to  those  who  sent  them  forth. 
Efforts  to  injure  others  are  apt  to  return,  like  the 
boomerang,  on  those  who  gave  them  horrid  birth. 
Thoughts  and  actions,  like  chickens,  come  home 
to  roost.  In  these  circles  of  influence  all  human 
lives  are  ground  to  powder  or  rounded  into  gems. 

Above  the  crystal  was  a  throne  of  sapphire,  and 
on  the  throne  the  appearance  of  a  man.  Here  is 
the  symbol  of  enthroned  intelligence  and  control- 
ling power.  All  things  bear  testimony  that  they 
are  controlled  by  one  power.  A  power  which  dis- 
plays intelligence  infinite,  looking  to  the  ultimate 
good  of  all.     Through  all  the  mysteries  and  intri- 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  1 33 

cacies  of  nature,  we  catch  glimpses  of  purpose, 
"  a  labor  working  to  an  end." 

From  such  "stepping  stones"  of  thought  the 
mind  adores  the  God  of  all. 

Such  are  the  main  thoughts  of  the  sermon. 
The  impressive  tones  of  voice,  the  enforcing  ges- 
tures, the  flash  of  the  eye,  and  the  personal  mag- 
netism of  the  man  are  all  lost  on  paper.  The  ser- 
mon was  a  tonic,  a  means  of  grace  to  the  body  as 
well  as  to  the  soul.  I  felt  the  effects  on  myself, 
and  noticed  them  on  others.  The  step  was  more 
elastic,  movements  more  springy,  the  manner  more 
animated,  more  graceful. 

The  sermon  was  followed  by  a  love  feast,  at 
least  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  for  I  took  Susie 
with  me  in  the  buggy,  and  was  soon  lost  to  all  else. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Plum  Creek  Church. 

^/^NE  Saturday  morning,  while  with  small  pros- 
V^  pects  of  success  I  was  casting  about  for  a 
pleasant  way  to  spend  the  day,  I  was  greeted  by 
the  cheerful  salutation  of  John  Henderson,  "  Good 
morning,  Sam.  Well,  old  chum,"  and  his  voice 
with  merriment  rang,  "  we  have  knocked  off  for 
the  week,  and  I'm  going  home.  Mr.  Wilson 
preaches  at  our  church  to-day,  and  I  have  come  to 
invite  you  home  with  me,  and  we  can  attend 
church." 

"Certainly,  John,"  I  replied,  "I  am  delighted 
to  go  with  you."  Calling  Dick  to  saddle  my 
horse,  I  invited  John  to  a  seat  in  the  hall,  while 
I  made  ready  to  start. 

We  were  soon  on  the  way.  At  once  there  was 
a  complete  change  of  scenery.  The  broad  level 
fields  of  growing  crops  were  left  behind.  Hills 
and  valleys,  or  "  hollows"  as  we  called  them,  all 
covered  with  heavy  forest,  while  wild  flowers  and 
singing  birds  added  charm  to  the  deep  shade; 
such  was  the  scenerj'-  through  which  we  rode. 

Youth  is  always  in  S5'mpathy  with  the  woods. 
This  may  be  a  trait  which  has  survived  since  the 
time  when  our  ancestors  lived  in  the  wilds  of  un- 
disturbed nature.  Inherited  instincts  play  an  im- 
(134) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        I35 

portant  part  in  every  human  life.  The  instincts  of 
wildness  inherited  from  remote  times,  are  felt 
more  in  childhood  and  youth,  while  the  later  tenden- 
cies to  civilization  come  to  us  in  our  maturer  age. 

Riding  over  these  giant  hills  and  down  into  the 
deep,  narrow  vales,  feasting  the  eyes  on  the  wild 
luxuriance  of  nature,  and  inhaling  the  soft  air  of 
summer,  we  felt  all  the  zest  of  life  and  glow  of 
health.  Our  studies  in  botany  came  to  our  aid  in 
giving  names  to  the  plants  we  saw. 

In  a  deep  valley,  where  the  forest  was  unusually 
dense,  and  the  rich  vegetable  mold  of  ages,  like  a 
soft  carpet,  sank  deep  beneath  the  feet,  we  found 
a  rare  and  beautiful  flower.  It  was  a  "  lady's 
slipper."  Moved  by  a  common  impulse,  we  made 
a  perceptible  halt  to  admire  this  gem  of  the  woods. 
It  hung  like  a  tiny  lamp  of  beauty,  in  pleasing  con- 
trast with  the  deep,  somber  shade.  Here  was  a 
place  to  muse  and  talk;  a  place  where  the  pleas- 
ant fellowship  of  congenial  minds  was  softened 
and  elevated  by  the  wider  communion  of  nature. 
It  was  a  restful  place;  a  place  where  Pan,  in  an- 
cient times,  might  have  inspired  his  devotees;  or 
where,  in  later  ages,  fairies  might  have  danced  with 
delight. 

Looking  back  over  the  experience  of  the  past,  it 
appears  to  me  that  life  and  responsibility  never 
rested  with  lighter  burden  on  the  mind  than  on  that 
bright  morning  of  my  ride  with  John  through  the 
woods  to  Plum  Creek  Church.  But  even  then  the 
brightness  was  not  without  a  shadow.     By  some 


136  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

occult  law  of  our  nature,  something  like  a  veil  of 
sadness  seems  to  wave  always  in  conscious  near- 
ness to  our  minds,  even  in  the  seasons  of  our  most 
untarnished  delights.  A  sense  of  unrest,  it  may 
be  a  prophecy  of  evil  to  come,  casts  a  shadowy 
tinge  of  sorrow  over  the  brightest  scenes  and 
sweetest  experiences  of  life. 

The  people  who  attended  church  at  Plum  Creek 
were  a  study  to  me.  They  contrasted  strangely 
with  the  congregation  at  Conway  Chapel,  only  a 
few  miles  away.  No  fine  carriages  with  likely 
drivers  were  on  parade.  Most  of  the  people  came 
on  foot;  some  on  horses,  often  two  or  three  on 
the  same  horse.  In  some  cases  the  head  of  the 
family,  with  two  or  three  boys,  came  afoot,  while 
the  family,  packed  on  the  family  horse,  came  slow- 
ly on  behind.  Some  families  came  in  wagons. 
Some  of  the  men  who  walked  came  in  their  shirt 
sleeves,  carrying  a  thin  coat  which  looked  like  a 
strip  of  cloth  or  a  napkin,  thrown  across  the  shoul- 
der, ready  to  be  donned  before  going  into  church. 

The  boys  and  girls  were  brusk,  ruddy,  and  shy; 
manifesting  in  their  easy  awkwardness  a  strange 
mixture  of  timidity  and  independence.  They  act- 
ed as  if  oppressed  by  a  sense  of  rudeness,  and  yet 
animated  by  a  feeling  that  worth  is  greater  than 
polish. 

The  people  met  and  commingled  with  very  litde 
ceremony.  There  was  an  absence  of  all  studied 
politeness.  They  seemed  to  be  wholly  natural, 
and  did  and  said  things  as  whim,  fancy,  or  feeling 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  137 

prompted.     As  compared  with  the  people  at  Con- 
way, I  made  these  observations; 

They  had  broader  faces  and  thicker  bodies. 
They  had  larger  waists,  and  were  consequently 
nearer  the  same  size  all  the  way  from  shoulder  to 
hip.  They  were  more  angular  both  as  to  body 
and  features.  Civilization  long  continued  tends  to 
change  the  shape  of  the  body,  as  well  as  the  char- 
acter of  the  mind.  It  gives  a  finer  chiseHng  to  the 
features,  and  a  milder  color  to  the  complexion.  It 
has  a  decided  tendency  to  raise  the  forehead  and 
retire  the  cheek  bones.  To  give  the  mouth  a 
backset,  and  the  back  head  a  forward  drive.  It 
gives  to  the  general  outlines  more  symmetrical 
curvatures,  giving  more  of  a  heartlike  shape  to  the 
bust.  All  this  is  working  the  animal  out  and 
working  manhood  up.  Civilization,  so  some  of  the 
wise  men  think,  is  the  sea  on  which  the  race  is 
drifting  away  from  the  monkey  type.  Their  man- 
ners were  more  eccentric,  and  consequently  gave 
greater  variety.  Each  was  a  law  unto  himself 
when  it  came  to  manners.  Their  speech  was  un- 
cultivated ;  consequently  retained  its  unsophisticat- 
ed force.  About  Conway  the  gentility  perspired 
this  warm  weather;  down  here,  at  Plum  Creek, 
these  fellows  "sweated,"  because  it  was  hot.  A 
small  percentage  of  the  people  about  Conway  had 
auburn  hair  and  pimples ;  down  here  a  larger  per 
cent,  were  red  headed  and  freckled  faced. 

In  fact  there  were  two  civilizations  here  side  by 
side;   one  based  on  slave  labor,  highly  cultured, 


138  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

ease-loving,  and  self-satisfied;  the  other  strug- 
gling with  free  self-labor,  stinted,  restless,  and 
and  without  the  means  of  culture. 

As  I  have  since  learned,  similar  conditions  might 
have  been  found  in  many  places  throughout  the 
country.  There  was  a  marked  difference  between 
the  planters  who  worked  slaves,  and  the  small 
farmers  who  worked  in  competition  with  slavery. 
All  the  best  lands  had  been  bought  up  for  slave  la- 
bor and  the  hills  and  narrow  valleys  left  to  the  "  po' 
white  trash."  Between  these  populations  there 
was  very  little  communication,  and  less  sympathy. 
All  these  facts  did  not  occur  to  me  that  day  while 
I  was  watching  with  keen  interest  the  people  who 
were  my  near  neighbors,  and  yet  very  distant 
strangers.  They  have  come  to  me  as  the  result  of 
further  observation  and  study.  I  have  noticed 
that  different  localities,  with  different  conditions 
of  soil  and  surroundings,  have  people  of  different 
individualities.  But  for  the  fact  that  people  are 
constantly  changing  localities,  neighborhoods  of 
people  would  be  as  different  from  each  other  as 
are  the  localities  where  they  dwell. 

I  was  much  interested  in  the  conversation  of  the 
elderly  men.  The  directness  and  the  quaintness 
of  their  talk  was  to  me  novel  and  amusing:  "  How 
goes  it,  Brother  Shaw?  "  <'  Just  middlin',  Broth- 
er Smith;  how's  all  your  folks?"  "Wall,  able 
to  eat  all  they  can  git."  "How's  the  craps?" 
*?A11  settin'  up,  'ceptin'  the  late  corn;  that's  'bout 
gone  up  the  spout." 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  1 39 

This,  with  much  more  similar  talk,  occurred  out 
in  the  church  yard  in  the  shade  of  a  tree,  while 
the  congregation  was  gathering.  It  was  at  least 
refreshing  to  get  where  the  political  elements  were 
not  stirred,  and  to  lind  men  who  had  something  to 
do  besides  saving  the  country.  The  sisters  in  the 
house  were  having  a  lively  time,  discussing  the 
neighborhood  gossip,  while  among  some  the  snuff- 
box was  slyly  circulated  from  hand  to  hand. 
The  young  men  were  mostly  content  to  cast  sly 
glances  at  the  rustic  maidens,  while  the  maidens 
took  refuge  behind  their  mothers,  as  if  they 
thought  it  would  be  a  bold  sin  to  be  looked  at  too 
closely.  Finally  the  hour  for  preaching  came,  as 
did  also  the  preacher.  There  was  now  a  hush; 
the  old  brethren  all  had  on  their  coats ;  gossip  was 
allowed  to  rest;  all  traces  of  the  snuffbox  were 
smoothed  out;  and  all  seemed  ready  to  enter  on 
the  serious  business  of  the  occasion.  Mr.  Wilson 
was  evidently  a  favorite  here,  as  among  the  more 
cultured  congregations.  A  feeling  of  eager  ex- 
pectancy animated  the  entire  assembly.  The 
preacher's  theme  was  the  supreme  law  of  God: 
*'  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind, 
and  with  all  thy  strength;"  and  "Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  This  law  of  love 
has  two  divisions,  expressive  of  our  twofold  obli- 
gations; to  love  God  and  to  love  man.  The  full 
extent  of  our  capacity  is  the  measure  of  our  obli- 
gation to  love  God.     The  love  of  self  is  the  meas- 


140  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

ure  of  obligation  to  love  our  fellow-man.  Self- 
love  is  the  measure  of  fellow-love.  The  obliga- 
tion is  put  in  another  form,  which  may  make  it 
easier  to  be  comprehended.  "As  you  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them  like- 
wise." The  simple  requirement  is  that  love  to 
our  fellow-man  should  be  wholly  unselfish.  This 
meets  the  whole  case,  solves  all  the  difficulty.  A 
man  blinded  by  selfishness  cannot  understand  the 
law.  Eliminate  selfishness  and  a  man  would  natur- 
ally practice  the  requirements.  Let  all  the  rela- 
tions in  life  be  regarded  as  reciprocal,  and  always, 
when  it  is  your  time  to  do,  put  self  in  the  other 
place,  and  then  do  to  the  one  in  the  other  place  as 
self  would  in  that  place  like  to  be  done  by. 

It  is  in  accordance  with  the  eternal  fitness  of 
things  that  the  supreme  law  should  be  the  law  of 
love.  The  least  thought  will  convince  us  that  this 
is  right  and  best.  Love  is  the  strongest,  gentlest, 
and  most  enduring  quality  of  which  we  can  be 
possessed.  To  make  our  eternal  welfare  hinge  on 
its  exercise  is  therefore  the  policy  of  both  infinite 
wisdom  and  supreme  goodness.  It  is  the  one 
thing  that  we  can  do  best,  and  best  continue  to  do. 
It  is  the  one  thing  in  the  doing  of  which  we  are 
most  highly  blessed. 

This  law  expresses  our  natural  and  only  safe  re- 
lation to  both  God  and  man.  It  is  the  law  that 
can  never  be  replaced  by  another.  It  exactly 
meets  the  case.  In  all  the  thoughts  of  Supreme 
Wisdom  there  can  evidently  be    nothing  better, 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  I4I 

nothing  wiser.  It  is  the  law  that  must  be  supreme 
in  any  world,  even  in  the  highest  heaven.  Through 
all  time  and  throughout  all  space  where  created  in- 
telligences live,  this  is  the  first  great  law.  It  was 
born  with  the  creation  of  the  first  responsible  be- 
ings, and  must  continue  while  such  beings  con- 
tinue. Its  observance  is  eternal  life,  its  violation 
is  eternal  death. 

These  thoughts,  made  attractive  by  the  beauti- 
ful imagery  and  enforced  by  impassioned  eloquence 
made  a  deep  impression.  These  "  common  peo- 
ple heard  the  message  gladly."  I  never  saw  a  more 
appreciative  audience.  Though  I  think  they  were 
enthused  not  so  much  by  the  literary,  as  by  the 
moral  beauty  of  the  sermon.  They  drank  in  the 
truth  with  a  relish  which  must  have  been  a  source 
of  inspiration  to  the  preacher.  He  evidently 
preached  with  more  feeling  here  than  he  was  ac- 
customed to  do  at  Conway.  Good  hearers  have  a 
powerful  tendency  to  make  good  speakers. 

When  the  services  were  over,  and  John  and  I  were 
on  the  way  to  his  home,  I  asked  him  why  they  had 
preaching  on  Saturday.  He  said:  "  It  is  because 
the  Sabbaths  are  claimed  by  the  wealthy  churches, 
such  as  Conway  Chapel  and  New  Prospect.  It 
does  look  strange,  and  a  little  hard,  too,  to  have 
preaching  all  the  time  on  Saturdays  down  here, 
where  everybody  has  to  work ;  and  all  the  time  on 
Sundays  in  the  wealthy  neighborhoods,  where 
people  have  nothing  to  do  but  go  to  church  every 
day   in   the    week,    if    they  wish   to.     But,"    he 


142  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

continued  after  a  moment's  pause,  "  they  pay- 
nearly  all  the  expenses,  and  it  is  probably  right. 
At  least,  the  people  down  here,  who  can  pay  the 
preacher  but  a  little,  feel  like  they  have  no  right 
to  complain.  The  preaching  on  Saturday  is  worth 
a  great  deal  more  than  they  can  pay." 

"  So  it  is  still  true,"  I  replied,  "  that  the  poor 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them,  provided  they 
can  find  time  to  lay  aside  their  toil  and  go  out  to 
church  during  work  days." 

John  smiled,  and  invited  me  to  alight,  for  we 
had  now  reached  our  stopping  place. 

The  true  nobility  of  John  nowhere  appeared  to 
better  advantage  than  in  his  own  home.  The 
years  of  study  at  the  academy  and  the  superior 
brilliancy  of  his  own  mind  had  given  him  a  polish 
to  which  the  rest  of  the  family  were  entire  stran- 
gers. It  was  beautiful  to  witness  the  loving  sim- 
plicity of  manner  by  which  he  drew  them  to  him- 
self, effectually  preventing  even  the  beginning  of 
any  caste  barrier  between  him  and  them.  I  learned 
from  their  conversation  that  John  had  been  in- 
structing the  children  and  furnishing  them  with 
useful  books.  John  at  home  was  not  a  case  of 
the  diamond  in  the  ash  bank,  but  rather  like  a 
precious  aromatic  imparting  its  own  fragrance  to 
all  surrounding  objects. 

Having  spent  a  pleasant  day,  I  returned  home 
in  the  dusk  of  evening. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Our  Vacation  Ends. 

AS  the  summer  wore  on,  the  political  firmament 
became  overcast  with  the  signs  of  the  coming 
storm.  Agitation  became  more  general.  The 
speakers  gathered  momentum  from  their  own  ve- 
hemence. 

Never  before  was  there  such  a  clamor  for 
"  rights."  Public  speakers  wanted  "  our  rights." 
Newspapers  demanded  "our  rights."  Groups 
of  earnest  men  in  consultation  said  that  we  must 
have  "our  rights."  There  was  speaking  on  all 
occasions,  and  nearly  all  of  the  same  kind,  a 
cry  for  "our  rights."  The  men  who  felt  that 
"our  rights"  had  not  been  invaded,  or  who 
thought  it  prudent  to  accept  the  present  situation 
rather  than  risk  the  consequences  of  so  much  ex- 
citement, had  nothing  to  drive  them  to  the  same 
earnestness.  Their  protests  were  mild,  and  con- 
sequently disregarded. 

All  the  anger,  passions,  vehemence  of  a  most 
stormy  campaign  were  expressed  in  the  one  word, 
"  OUR  RIGHTS."  Our  rights  must  be  maintained  at 
all  hazards.  The  man  who  will  not  contend  for 
his  rights  is  a  coward  or  a  fool.  Nobody  wanted 
to  be  considered  either.  Conservative  men  grew 
doubtful  and  weakened   in  their   purpose.     Men 

(143) 


144 


SAM    WILLIAMS: 


who  disliked  pressure  went  with  the  current  rather 
than  try  to  stem  its  force.  The  prolonged  agoniz- 
ing cry  for  "our  rights"  was  gaining  additional 
volume  every  day.  "  Rights,  rights,  rights  !  Give 
us  our  rights  or  give  us  death !  " 

A  few  men  saw  danger  ahead  and  tried  by  wise 
and  temperate  council  to  call  a  halt.  They  were  at 
last  aroused  to  a  sense  of  danger.  The  love  of 
country,  the  blessings  of  peace,  the  evils  of  agita- 
tion, the  dangers  of  division,  the  fate  of  other  na- 
tions were  all  pleaded,  but  in  vain.  As  well  try  to 
stop  an  avalanche.  The  movement  was  constantly 
gaining  momentum. 

The  constant  agitation  became  painful.  There 
was  unrest  throughout  the  country.  The  feeling 
would  have  been  more  depressing  but  for  the  gen- 
eral belief  that  the  excitement  would  die  out  after 
the  election.  Whatever  the  result,  it  was  hoped 
that  the  minority  would  submit,  and  that  things 
would  resume  their  usual  course.  There  would 
then  be  no  further  cause  for  contention.  In  this 
hope  my  fears  were  somewhat  quieted. 

It  was  now  time  to  get  ready  to  leave  for  college. 
With  mingled  feelings  of  expectancy,  hope,  and 
fear  I  went  about  that  duty.  I  was  to  go  to  Vir- 
ginia. This  was  good.  I  wanted  to  see  the  old 
state,  the  home  of  my  ancestors.  Then  I  wanted 
to  travel,  as  I  had  been  but  little  from  home,  and 
had  seen  but  little  of  the  world.  College  life  also 
had  its  charms.  I  had  looked  forward  to  this  as  the 
crowning  period  of  young  manhood  and  the  door 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        I45 

to  all  honors  beyond.  I  was  glad  of  the  prospect 
of  collegiate  honors  and  advantages. 

But  the  separation  from  home  and  Susie  was  re- 
garded with  a  feeling  of  sadness.  I  could  in  due 
time  return  with  welcome  to  my  home.  But  my 
claim  upon  Susie  was  not  so  well  established.  Al- 
ways with  this  thought  came  something  like  an 
aching  care  close  about  my  heart.  Then,  in  spite 
of  all  my  reasoning  and  efforts  to  assure  myself  to 
the  contrary,  a  dread  of  disaster  to  the  country 
grew  heavy  upon  my  mind.  So  many  prophecies 
of  evil,  spoken  with  so  much  earnestness,  were 
enough  to  cast  a  gloom  on  the  horizon  of  the  fu- 
ture. 

But  if  the  distant  future  appeared  misty,  I  had  at 
least  the  privilege  of  looking  at  it  through  a  silvery 
sheen,  the  nearer  lining  to  the  distant  cloud.  Such 
is  life.  The  brightness  is  never  without  a  shadow, 
the  darkness  is  never  without  a  glimmer  of  light. 
The  silvery  lining  that  was  now  so  bright  to  me 
consisted  mainly  in  the  fact  that  I  was  to  take 
Susie  as  far  as  Nashville,  where  she  was  to  "  fin- 
ish." This  was  especially  gratifying.  It  was  an 
evidence  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  her  parents, 
which  I  thought  stood  for  a  great  deal.  Then  we 
were  to  spend  one  more  Sabbath  at  home,  and  I 
was  to  take  her  out  to  Conway  Chapel. 

I  was  in  serious  doubt,  just  at  this  time,  whether 

it  was  best  to  avow  my  love  to  Susie  and  ask  her 

to  be  mine.     As  it  would  be  a  long  time  before  we 

were  to  be  out  of  school,  I  was  afraid  that  the  pro- 

10 


146  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

posal  would  be  considered  premature,  result  in 
postponement,  perhaps  indefinite,  and  might 
weaken  my  chance  of  ultimate  success.  Then, 
unless  my  suit  should  meet  with  prompt  and  favor- 
able response,  it  might  interfere  with  my  taking  her 
to  Nashville  the  next  week.  This  I  could  not  but 
regard  as  a  calamity.  So  halting,  doubting,  trust- 
ing, misgiving,  I  wavered  for  awhile  in  poise  be- 
tween desire  and  prudence,  and  finally  concluded 
to  abide  my  time  for  a  more  auspicious  opportuni- 
ty. I  was  in  sight  of  the  pearly  gate  of  my  earth- 
ly paradise,  but  was  afraid  to  sue  for  admittance. 

Sunday  morning  was  delightful,  and  so  was 
Susie.  As  I  escorted  her  from  the  door  of  her 
beautiful  little  home  that  bright  morning,  I  am 
sure  that  my  eyes  never  before  feasted  on  so  much 
loveliness.  Her  conversation  was  vivacity  put  to 
music.  Her  smile  was  the  play  of  sunshine  over 
the  ripples  of  my  agitated  nature.  Her  presence 
was  like  a  rainbow  of  promise  to  me  amid  the 
stormy  elements  of  our  political  sky.  Driving 
with  her  to  church  through  a  country  unusually 
blessed  with  growing  abundance,  and  the  smile  of 
peace  resting  on  all  the  landscape,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  our  rights  could  hardly  be  in  danger.  And 
especially  did  it  appear  that  a  country  so  blessed 
with  peace  and  so  highly  favored  with  heaven's 
rich  abundance  could  never  become  the  scene  of 
cruel  and  bloody  war. 

A  dashing  turnout  came  into  the  road  just 
ahead  of  us.     It  was  Dolph  at  his  best.     He  was 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        I47 

dressed  in  unusually  fine  style.  His  span  of 
horses  fairly  glistened  in  the  sun,  while  his  silver- 
mounted  buggy  became  a  reflector  to  all  surround- 
ing objects.  This  was  evidently  a  special  occasion 
with  him,  as  it  was  with  me.  He  was  going  with 
Miss  Minnie  out  to  church,  as  I  was  going  with 
Susie.  "A  fellow-feeling  makes  us  wondrous 
kind."  I  felt  like  extending  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship with  hearty  good  wishes  for  the  success  of 
us  both. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  in  his  happiest  mood  that  morn- 
ing. His  subject  was,  "  The  Presence  of  God  in 
All  His  Works,"  based  on  the  idea  several  times  ex- 
pressed in  the  Bible:  "  God  is  all  in  all."  He  held 
that  God  could  not  be  absent  from  anything  or 
any  place;  that  he  is  actively  present  everywhere, 
and  because  of  that  presence  the  appropriate  work 
of  nature  goes  on ;  that  the  proof  of  his  presence 
is  inherent  in  every  phase  of  being.  The  laws  of 
nature  are  his  methods.  Their  force  is  his  force, 
working  out  the  ends  of  nature  or  providence. 
The  divine  force,  that  which  sustains  the  universe, 
is  but  the  action  of  divine  will.  "  He  spake,  and 
it  was  done;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast." 
Nature  is  God's  thinking  made  visible. 

Such  laws  as  polarity,  gravitation,  cohesion,  and 
motion  are  inherent  in  the  divine  plans,  because 
they  express  the  exactness  of  the  divine  mind. 
Because  of  their  interacting  forces,  everything, 
from  the  largest  world  or  system  of  worlds  to  the 
smallest  mote  or  atom,  is  in  its  right  place  and  doing 


148  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

its  appropriate  work.  In  this  great  physical  uni- 
verse, this  divine  thinking  made  visible,  we  see 
dovetailing  into  every  part  the  evidence  of  spirit- 
ual existence. 

We  see  everywhere  evidence  of  a  first  great 
Cause.  Not  a  primordial  force  by  which  things 
exist,  but  evidences  of  a  spiritual  personal  being 
with  intelligence  and  individuality.  Not  the  soul 
of  nature,  but  of  a  Being  infinitely  greater  than 
nature;  one  who  by  filling  nature  full,  loses  none 
©f  his  personality ;  one  whose  individuality  would 
remain  unhurt  if  all  nature  could  be  destroyed; 
one  sufficient  to  animate  a  million  universes,  or 
remain  just  as  great  without  an  atom  of  matter. 

Can  we  believe  that  the  universe  consists  only 
of  matter?  Our  minds  instinctively  shrink  from 
such  an  idea.  The  unbiased  mind  naturally  be- 
lieves that  matter  could  never  have  been  without 
an  adequate  cause  for  its  existence.  But  granting 
its  existence,  there  is  manifestly  nothing  in  it  to 
produce  all  the  life,  thought,  and  spirit  that  we  see 
and  feel  about  us.  There  can  be  no  cause  for 
these  things,  except  in  the  one  Supreme  Intelli- 
gence. Our  minds  are  absolutely  insulted  by  an 
invitation  to  believe  less. 

The  God  whose  image  is  reflected  to  our  minds 
from  the  beautiful  fabric  of  nature  has  all  the  at- 
tributes of  wisdom,  power,  and  spirituality  to  stand 
as  the  eternal  cause  of  all  that  ever  did  or  ever  can 
exist.  In  him  there  is  no  tendency  to  waste  or  de- 
cay.    The  laws  of  his  nature  work  to  eternal  sta- 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  1 49 

bility.  The  making  of  worlds  does  not  make  him 
less;  their  decay  does  not  add  to  his  greatness. 
He  remains  ever  the  same,  unchanged  amid  all 
changes. 

He  changes  not,  because  absolute  perfection  is 
essentially  unchangeable.  We  are  commanded  to 
strive  after  alike  perfection.  "Be  ye  therefore  per- 
fect, even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect." It  is  the  will  of  God  that  we  should  always 
advance  toward  his  perfection.  This  cannot  be  if 
decay  is  the  ultimate  law.  Therefore  we  are  invited 
to  the  belief  that  some  of  the  laws  of  God  tend  to  eter- 
nal advancement.  That  there  is  a  realm  where  the 
laws  work  not  to  decay,  but  to  eternal  life.  Such 
laws  secure  immortality.  The  boundary  is  between 
the  natural  and  the  spiritual.  All  organisms  in  the 
domain  of  nature  tend  to  ultimate  decay;  all  in 
the  spiritual  domain  tend  to  perpetual  existence. 
When  the  laws  of  spiritual  life  are  not  violated,  the 
being  lives  in  happiness  coeternal  with  God. 

Would  not  an  eternal  God  desire  eternal  crea- 
tures? It  is  certainly  reasonable  that  he  should. 
The  more  like  himself  they  become,  the  better  he 
would  be  pleased.  The  desires  of  God  become 
fixed  realities.  If  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that 
God  desires  such  beings ;  it  is  still  more  reasonable 
to  believe  that  such  beings  do  and  must  exist. 

To  my  mind  the  belief  in  God  is  a  mental  neces- 
sity. I  cannot  believe  in  an  intelligent  and  spirit- 
ual universe  such  as  I  am  in  contact  with  every 
day,  without  believing  in  an  intelligent  and  spirit- 


150  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

ual  God.  Then  it  is  easier  to  believe  that  this  God 
would  surround  himself  by  immortal  beings,  par- 
taking to  some  extent  his  own  nature,  than  it  is  to 
believe  that  he  remains  forever  alone  amid  the  rise 
and  decay  of  transitory  beings  who  could  only,  as 
through  a  glass  darkly,  catch  glimpses  of  his  glory, 
utter  feeble  praises  for  a  moment,  and  then  pass 
into  silence  forever.  The  existence  of  God  im- 
plies the  existence  of  immortal  beings  to  adore  that 
God. 

Thus  reason  and  revelation  combine  to  establish 
the  main  points  of  religion,  the  existence  of  God, 
and  the  immortality  of  man.  The  immortality  of 
man  implies  spiritual  relations,  a  spiritual  domain, 
governed  by  spiritual  laws.  The  word  ' '  universe 
should  be  extended  not  only  to  embrace  the  physi- 
cal, but  also  the  spiritual,  in  one  harmonious 
whole.  There  is  no  impassable  gulf  fixed  between 
the  physical  and  the  spiritual.  What  we  know  of 
the  perfection  of  the  laws  of  nature  warrants  the 
belief  that  a  like  perfection  pervades  the  entire 
unlimited  domain  of  God.  "  God  is  all  in  all." 
This  applies  to  all  and  makes  a  unit  of  all.  The 
spiritual  and  physical  are  one  complete  harmony 
of  existence.  What  we  want  is  a  genius  broad 
enough,  with  towering  mind  and  vigorous  faith, 
whose  hand  of  cunning,  trained  to  methods  wise, 
shall  be  able  to  sweep  all  the  chords  of  wisdom, 
and  show  the  harmony  in  all  the  works  of  God. 

Such  were  the  main  thoughts  around  which  the 
preacher  wrapped    the  beautiful  sheen  of  poetic 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  I5T. 

verbiage,  and  held  us  in  the  thraldom  of  attention 
rapt  and  sweet.  After  services  there  was  more 
than  the  usual  amount  of  social  good  feeling,  in 
which  country  congregations  are  apt  to  indulge. 
So  many  young  people  were  now  to  leave  for  col- 
lege, it  was  a  time  for  general  hand  shaking  and 
farewells,  with  good  wishes.  Susie,  Minnie,  and 
Julia,  to  say  nothing  of  the  half  dozen  young  men, 
were  now  mingling  with  friends  before  a  long  sep- 
aration. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
Off  for  College. 

LIKE  an  April  cloud  which  weeps  in  the  sun- 
shine, and  gives  the  beautiful  bow  of  prom- 
ise, such  was  Susie  the  morning  of  our  departure. 
Her  smiles  and  tears  sported  with  each  other,  as 
lilies  laugh  and  weep  in  the  summer  shower.  The 
mental  picture  which  I  received  of  her  that  morning 
has  been  a  souvenir  of  joy  in  many  a  hard  hour 
since.  In  regard  to  the  gambols  of  smiles  and 
tears,  Susie  was  not  specially  different  from  her 
companions.  But  the  smiles  rapidly  gained  the 
ascendency,  and  brightness  held  the  sway.  We 
were  a  company  of  gay  and  light-hearted  young 
people,  with  just  a  flash  of  transitory  sadness. 
The  homes  we  left  were  as  bright  and  cheerful  as 
were  ever  blessed  by  nature's  genial  sun  and 
showers. 

With  never  a  thought  of  disaster,  or  a  sigh  for 
endangered  rights,  we  boarded  the  train  and  were 
off  to  our  places  of  studv.  Dolph  Parker,  John 
Henderson,  Dick  Webb,  Ben  and  Joe  Allen,  and 
I,  were  bound  for  college  in  Virginia,  while  Susie 
Brantlett,  Minnie  Allen,  and  Julia  Parker  were 
going  to  "  finish  "  in  Nashville. 

Railroad  travel  was  new  to  us.  The  rapidity 
with  which  we  sped  over  the  country  seemed  to  us 
(152) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        153 

perfectly  marvelous.  The  sensations  were  new 
and  exhilarating.  I  remember  how  vivid  was  the 
impression  that  the  land  outside  the  car  window 
was  running  back.  Fields,  fences,  trees,  and 
houses  seemed  to  be  flying  past.  But  as  I  looked 
farther  out  this  apparent  motion  ceased ;  a  center 
was  reached,  and  the  distant  landscape  was  mov- 
ing with  the  train.  The  land  had  an  eddying  or 
cyclonic  motion.  The  great  broad  fields  seemed 
to  be  winding  round  and  round.  The  size  of  the 
eddy  varied  with  the  different  landscapes. 

A  question  sprang  in  my  mind  that  morning 
which  has  often  since  come  up  for  consideration 
and  still  waits  an  answer:  What  is  to  be  the  effect 
of  this  rapid  and  easy  transportation  over  hill  and 
dale  on  the  mental  constitution  of  man  in  the 
coming  ages?  How  it  adds  to  the  continuity  of 
view !  How  it  aids  in  generalization  !  It  is  a  new 
and  mighty  factor  in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge. 
What  is  to  be  the  effect  on  the  thinking  faculties? 
None  of  the  great  thinkers  of  the  world  ever  sat  by 
a  car  window  and  saw  the  world  flit  by  them. 
Will  the  future  thinkers  show  the  effect  of  rail- 
roads in  their  mental  wares?  Will  their  reason  be 
more  accurate,  or  their  poetry  more  sublime  ?  Will 
their  conceptions  of  truth  be  broader,  or  their 
tastes  more  refined?  What  is  to  be  the  literary 
product  of  a  railroad  civilization? 

But  why  should  I  be  musing  in  speculations  like 
these  while  Susie  is  here  to  claim  my  entire  atten- 
tion?    Aye,  certainly  she  is  here,  and  must  have 


154  ^^^^   WILLIAMS; 

my  attention.  But  why  is  it  that  we  so  often  let 
our  talk  run  in  one  channel  and  our  thoughts  in 
another?  When  conversation  assumes  a  many- 
cornered  phase,  so  that  all  parties  can  take  a  hand, 
as  we  do  in  "town  ball,"  one  can  give  a  few 
strikes  or  catches  when  it  comes  his  turn,  and  still 
have  time  for  speculation.  Youthful  wit  and  wis- 
dom were  playing  a  high  game,  and  I  could  pitch 
a  thought,  or  strike  at  an  idea,  or  miss  a  meaning, 
especially  the  latter  item,  with  as  much  facility  as 
the  rest,  and  still  have  time  to  observe  the  passing 
scenes  and  muse  on  their  meaning. 

The  scenery  through  which  we  passed  was  of 
the  most  familiar  kind.  The  country  was  mainly 
devoted  to  cotton.  Vast  fields  joined  each  other, 
presenting  to  view  miles  and  miles  of  cotton  farms. 
The  plants  at  this  season  were  three  or  four  feet 
high,  and  spread  so  as  to  meet  in  the  "  middle  of 
the  rows,"  thus  completely  shading  all  the  ground. 
The  bolls  near  the  ground  were  open,  and  picking 
had  begun.  The  white  bolls,  green  leaves,  and 
yellow  or  red  blooms  presented  a  variegated  ex- 
panse of  vegetable  luxuriance  peculiar  to  the 
South.  Nothing  approaching  to  this  in  magnitude 
v/as  to  be  met  with  in  any  other  land.  It  was  a 
vast  sea  of  green,  underlaid  with  white,  and  sprink- 
led all  over  with  yellow  and  red. 

While  I  was  making  these  observations  on  the 
country  without,  the  play  of  wit  and  wisdom  still 
ran  on  within.  But  both  were  disturbed  by  a  con- 
versation near  by,  which  had  for  some  time  been 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  I55 

growing  louder  and  more  earnest.  Some  gentle- 
men were  discussing  the  problem  of  supreme  im- 
portance: the  political  situation  of  the  country. 
The  group  was  constantly  growing  larger,  as  one 
after  another  left  his  seat  and  went  up  to  take  part 
in  the  discussion.  This  had  gone  on  till  now  most 
of  the  men  in  the  car  were  drawn  into  close  and 
earnest  debate,  each  one  more  desirous  to  speak 
than  to  listen. 

Only  two  of  the  men  were  for  Douglas.  One 
of  these,  as  I  gathered  from  the  boisterous  dispute, 
was  a  Douglas  elector,  and  he  had  with  him  one 
faithful  friend.  All  the  rest,  save  one  elderly  gen- 
tlem.an,  evidently  "an  old  line  Whig,"  who  was 
for  Bell  and  Everett,  were  for  Breckinridge  and 
Southern  rights. 

"I  tell  you,  gentleman,"  cried  the  elector  in 
earnest  and  excited  tones,  "we  must  not  be  sec- 
tional. No  sectional  man  can  be  an  acceptable 
President  to  the  whole  people.  Mr.  Douglas  is  a 
national  man,  and  a  true  representative  of  the  old 
national  party." 

To  this  there  v/as  a  vociferous  reply  by  at  least 
a  half  dozen  eager  disputants,  each  trying  to  get  a 
hearing.  The  replies  were  nearly  all  of  the  same  im- 
port. But  the  one  who  spoke  the  loudest  is  the  one 
whose  answer  I  remember.  He  was  a  man  of  com- 
manding mien;  face  florid;  eyes  prominent;  wore 
side  whiskers;  and  gesticulated  vehemently.  He 
said:  "Mr.  Breckinridge  is  not  sectional.  He  is 
national,  because  he  is  for  the  Constitution.  No  man 


156  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

is  national  who  does  not  demand  the  enforcement  of 
the  Constitution,  with  all  the  rights  in  that  instru- 
ment guaranteed  to  us  by  the  fathers.  We  want  our 
rights  under  the  Constitution,  and  we  intend  to 
have  them.  We  demand  the  repeal  of  all  laws 
contrary  to  the  Constitution.  The  man  who  is  the 
friend  of  these  unconstitutional  laws  is  purely  sec- 
tional. Mr.  Breckinridge  is  opposed  to  all  uncon- 
stitutional and  sectional  laws,  and  stands  for  the 
untrammeled  Constitution  now  and  forever." 
With  this  he  brought  his  fist  down  on  the  seat 
with  a  striking  emphasis. 

"  I  grant  you,  "  replied  the  elector,  "  that  Mr. 
Breckinridge  is  for  the  Constitution  as  we  all  inter- 
pret that  instrument.  But  he  is  the  nominee  of  a 
section,  he  is  supported  by  a  section,  and  is  re- 
garded by  all  out  of  that  section  as  a  sectional  can- 
didate, and  as  such  cannot  be  acceptable  to  the 
whole  people.  We  must  grant  something  to  the 
views  and  feelings  of  people  in  all  parts  of  this 
great  republic." 

"  Yes,"  retorted  he  with  the  side  whiskers,  "  we 
have  yielded  to  these  abolitionists  until  they  have 
grown  so  fanatical  that  they  no  longer  have  any 
regard  for  our  rights,  or  even  for  the  Constitution 
by  which  these  rights  are  protected.  We  should 
yield  not  another  inch.  The  time  has  come  to  de- 
mand our  rights."  Again  the  fist  came  down  as 
if  to  drive  the  idea  home  with  tenfold  force. 

Just  here  the  elector  by  a  gesture  and  attitude  of 
peculiar  earnestness,    secured   a  hushed   and    re- 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         I57 

spected  attention,  as  he  replied  with  a  calmness  in 
his  voice  which  indicated  clear  and  decisive  con- 
viction: "I  tell  you,  gentlemen,  you  mistake  the 
strength  of  the  enemy.  If  we  fail  to  elect  Mr. 
Douglas,  Abraham  Lincoln  will  be  the  next  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States."  This  fairly  raised  a 
howl  of  indignation.  "The  idea!  the  man 
who  is  the  representative  of  only  a  small  fanatical 
faction,  the  man  whose  party  hates  the  Constitu- 
tion because  it  protects  Southern  rights."  But 
the  elector,  still  composed,  managed  to  project 
another  sentence  into  the  confusion.  "If  we  set 
the  example,"  said  he,  "  of  voting  for  a  man  who 
represents  our  interests  and  views,  and  who  is  sup- 
ported by  no  other  section  of  the  country,  we 
should  not  be  surprised  if  we  are  beaten  at  our 
own  game." 

Just  at  this  point  in  the  controversy  the  whistle 
blew  a  halt.  This  was  not  intended  for  the  argm- 
ment,  though  it  had  the  good  effect  to  bring  it  to 
a  close  for  the  present.  The  brakeman  on  the 
platform  began  working  vigorously  to  slow  up  the 
train.  No  air  brakes  in  those  days.  So  after 
much  tugging  at  the  brakes,  the  train  finally  came 
to  a  stop,  with  laborious  jars  and  thumps. 

We  had  reached  a  town  where  there  was  to  be  a 
joint  political  discussion,  and  our  disputants  began 
to  make  preparations  to  leave  the  train.  A  vast 
and  excited  throng  was  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
train.  Hats  and  handkerchiefs  were  waving  in  all 
directions,  while  from  hundreds  of  throats  came 


158  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

the  cry,  repeated  again  and  again:  "  Hurrah  for 
Breckinridge!  Hurrah  for  Breckinridge!"  I 
really  felt  sorry  for  our  elector.  Looking  over  the 
vast  crowd  outside,  he  could  hear  but  few  and 
feeble  huzzas  for  Douglas.  But  almost  immedi- 
ately a  committee  of  reception  sprang  into  the  car 
to  bid  him  welcome. 

The  elector  v/ent  out  with  his  friends  and  for  a 
moment  stood  on  the  platform,  looking  down  on  a 
sea  of  upturned  faces.  He  was  a  fine  specimen  of 
cultivated  manhood.  He  was  at  once  greeted  by 
a  good-natured  laugh.  As  the  leader  of  a  forlorn 
hope,  the  innate  love  of  fair  play  came  to  his  relief. 
This  great  assembly  of  politicians  evidently  felt 
that  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  cause  that 
he  was  representing,  and  could  afford  to  be  mag- 
nanimous. A  volunteer  spokesman  in  the  crowd 
seemed  to  express  the  general  feeling  when  he 
said:  "  Come  on.  Colonel.  We  admire  your  grit, 
and  will  give  you  a  hearing."  The  great  throng 
surged  away  toward  the  place  where  the  speaking 
was  to  begin. 

After  this  we  had  a  lull  in  the  political  discus- 
sion. But  all  along  the  way  there  were  evidences 
of  great  excitement.  The  people  who  came  on 
the  train  talked  politics.  At  all  the  stations  were 
groups  of  men  in  earnest  consultation ;  and  when- 
ever we  overheard  a  remark  to  indicate  the  topic 
of  interest,  it  was  sure  to  be  politics.  The  whole 
country  Was  agitated  as  never  before  on  a  similar 
occasion.     It  was  on  the  eve  of  a  most  eventful 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD    SOUTH.  I59 

election,  and  people  felt  that  the  destinies  of  the 
country  were  largely  concerned  in  the  result. 

In  those  days  railroad  travel  was  not  so  rapid, 
and  connections  not  so  close  as  at  present,  and  we 
were  more  than  two  days  reaching  Nashville. 
But  this  appeared  to  us  as  marvelously  fast  trav- 
eling. Besides,  we  were  in  no  hurry.  We  were 
young,  free  from  care,  and  fond  of  each  other's 
company.  Travel  was  new  and  delightful.  There 
was  no  reason  why  we  should  hurry  through 
scenes  where  we  might  linger  with  delight.  We 
had  plenty  of  time.  Time  with  us  had  always  been 
plentiful,  because  we  had  always  been  supplied 
with  all  that  was  necessary  for  our  well  being. 
When  desires  outrun  ability,  then  time  is  scarce 
and  valuable.  The  chase  after  these  desires  gets 
many  people  into  a  rapid  race  through  life.  The 
man  whose  wants  are  supplied  has  ample  time. 
How  few  such  men  ! 

We  had  plenty  of  time !  In  view  of  experience 
since,  how  strangely  this  sounds !  How  delightful 
it  is  to  have  plenty  of  time !  O  for  the  occasion 
when  I  can  let  loose  the  tissues  of  exertion,  and 
once  more  float  with  the  tide,  having  plenty  of 
tim.e  !  But  few  men  ever  experience  that  pleasure. 
When  we  have  once  taken  hold  of  the  realities  of 
life,  we  are  apt  to  find  that  it  is  like  grasping  the 
electrodes  of  a  battery:  unpleasant  to  hold  on, 
and  hard  to  let  go. 

As  a  rule,  the  men  who  have  plenty  of  time  are 
those  who  have  let  time  severely  alone.     It  is  like 


l6o  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

strong  drink:  when  a  man  has  begun  to  use  it  in 
earnest  it  is  hard  to  stop.  The  Indian,  when  he  is 
full,  and  can  lie  in  the  autumn  sun,  while  the 
squaw  gathers  in  the  scanty  crop  and  dresses  the 
game,  has  plenty  of  time.  The  man  who  has  in- 
herited an  income  sufficient  to  meet  all  his  wants, 
and  who  is  making  no  effort  to  increase  the  patri- 
mony, has  plenty  of  time.  The  man  who  from 
any  cause  is  letting  the  world  drift,  and  is  making 
no  effort,  has  plenty  of  time. 

A  few  people  have  too  much  time.  It  hangs 
heavily  on  their  minds.  It  wrinkles  up  around 
their  spirits  in  the  form  of  ennui.  This  is  a  dis- 
ease from  which  American  business  men  are  very 
far  removed. 

We  spent  two  days  in  Nashville.  We  saw  the 
young  ladies  comfortably  situated  in  their  new 
homes.  My  leave  of  Susie,  while  it  had  a  tinge 
of  sadness,  was  full  of  hope  and  joyous  expecta- 
tions. We  again  boarded  the  train  and  were  soon 
following  the  iron  horse,  whose  head  was  to  the 
east.  Without  any  mishap  or  experience  worthy 
of  note,  we  reached  our  destination. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
In  College. 

IN  college !  This  is  the  goal  to  which  years  of 
labor  had  been  directed.  An  air  of  culture 
pervaded  the  place.  The  manners  and  language 
of  the  people  indicated  refinement.  The  impor- 
tance of  education  was  the  constant  theme  with 
the  Chancellor  and  professors.  The  desire  for 
education  took  possession  of  my  energies  and 
aroused  my  ambition.  I  had  never  before  so  fully 
appreciated  its  supreme  importance.  And  a  feel- 
ing of  its  importance  has  been  growing  on  me  all 
the  years  since.  Yet  the  full  import  of  the  idea  of 
education  cannot  be  realized.  The  time  has  not  yet 
come  for  any  man  to  grasp  the  subject  in  all  its  full- 
ness. Indeed,  the  time  may  never  come  when  any 
one  mind  can  possess  the  amplitude  of  range  to  es- 
timate all  the  delights  and  advantages  of  truest  cul- 
ture. However  vast  the  stores  of  the  mind,  there 
are  vaster  stores  for  other  minds  to  gather.  How- 
ever bright  the  stars,  and  noble  the  constellations 
that  cluster  in  our  mental  sky,  there  are  yet  bright- 
er heavens  below  the  horizon,  nobler  stars  of  light 
in  clusters  of  richer  glory,  to  rise  on  the  minds  of 
generations  yet  unborn. 

The  grand  object  of  education,  the  ideal  of  ex- 
cellence which  floats  in  the  van  of  our  noblest  en- 
11  (161) 


l62  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

deavor,  is  to  interpret  to  the  human  intellect  the 
relation  and  nature  of  universal  being.  It  is  to 
enable  man  to  comprehend  the  wonderfully  com- 
plicated construction  of  nature,  and  to  appreciate 
the  illimitable  tissue  of  interacting  forces  by  which 
all  created  existence  moves  responsive  to  the  will 
of  the  great  Creator.  It  is  to  enable  us  to  appreci- 
ate God  in  all  his  works  and  ways. 

Such  culture  not  only  unrolls  nature  to  the  mind, 
but  it  unrolls  the  mind  itself.  As  a  flower  spreads 
its  petals  to  the  life-giving  influences  of  sun  and 
shower,  so  the  mind  unfolds  its  convolutions  to  the 
sweet  influences  of  proper  education.  Culture 
continually  enlarges  the  range  of  mental  vision. 
The  mind  gains  point  after  point  of  the  rising 
peaks  of  truth,  and  is  gladdened  with  an  ever  ex- 
panding view.  To  the  growing  mind,  knowledge 
is  a  growing  picture  of  beautifully  blended  truths, 
bounded  by  a  constantly  retreating  horizon.  To 
education,  therefore,  belongs  sources  of  blessings 
to  man,  which  are  inexhaustible  in  supply  and  in- 
finite in  range. 

To  educate  is  to  add  to  the  stock  of  mind,  and 
thus  give  to  the  world  more  of  man.  It  gives  to 
the  world  more  intellect,  more  integritv,  more  re- 
ligion. It  adds  to  the  precious  stock  of  soul  which 
our  world  is  continually  pouring  forth  to  God. 
Education,  in  its  widest  range  and  ultimate  end, 
looks  to  the  elevation  and  regeneration  of  our  race. 
The  pivotal  utterance  of  the  world's  greatest 
Teacher  is  contained  in  the  great  commission,  the 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         163 

command  to  go  and  teach  the  nations.  When  this 
shall  have  been  fully  done,  done  to  the  extent  of 
the  meaning,  then  our  planet,  as  she  threads  her 
ethereal  way  amid  the  throng  of  sister  worlds,  will 
bear  her  due  amount  of  consecrated  intellect  as 
acceptable  incense  to  God. 

Of  course  education,  as  we  here  use  the  word, 
does  not  consist  wholly  in  mental  drill  after  the 
manner  of  schools,  but  is  the  unfolding  and  devel- 
opment of  all  the  resources  of  good  in  man ;  the  un- 
folding and  proper  growth  of  mind;  the  drawing 
out  and  training  of  the  affections;  the  health  and 
discipline  of  the  body.  Education  is  to  secure  the 
full  vigor  and  well-being  of  our  intellectual,  moral, 
and  physical  faculties.  It  adds  strength  and  polish 
to  the  whole  man. 

To  accomplish  this  in  its  fullest  sense,  we  must 
begin  with  the  children.  If  the  state  is  to  have 
citizens  competent  to  superintend  the  delicate  ma- 
chinery of  government,  we  must  educate  the 
young.  If  the  Church  is  to  have  ministers  and 
members  fully  qualified  to  guard  the  ark  of  truth 
and  lead  the  world  to  a  better  life,  we  must  begin 
in  the  primary  school  or  in  the  nursery.  If  the 
mists  of  ignorance  and  the  fogs  of  superstition  are 
to  be  dispelled,  we  must  educate  the  young.  If 
we  would  have  our  broad  land  to  glow  with  the 
splendors  of  intelligence,  we  must  educate  the 
young.  Finally,  if  we  would  have  our  world  to 
come  up  to  the  high  import  of  her  divine  mission, 
wrapped   in    the  glorious    influences   of   culture, 


164  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

glowing  with  the  gems  of  intellect,  and  enlightened 
by  the  stars  of  genius,  like  the  diadem  of  God,  we 
must  educate  the  young. 

The  destiny  of  every  man  hinges  on  the  kind  of 
education  he  receives ;  not  on  the  kind  attempted 
to  be  given,  but  on  the  kind  actually  received. 
This  is  often  very  different  from  the  culture  offered 
in  the  school  or  attempted  in  the  home.  It  may 
be  that  of  the  streets,  or  even  of  the  gutters.  But 
the  kind  that  is  received,  no  matter  where  it  comes 
from,  is  that  which  carries  with  it  the  destiny  of 
the  man.  Then  it  is  important  to  begin  early,  be- 
gin right,  and  be  constantly  persistent.  The  ef- 
forts should  begin  far  down  toward  the  sources  of 
the  formation  of  character,  and  be  continued  far 
into  manhood.  The  set  time  to  be  educated  does 
not  suit  all  cases.  One  takes  on  education  rapidly 
in  infancy  or  early  childhood,  another  in  youth, 
and  still  another  in  manhood.  The  first  and  last 
of  these  classes  are  apt  to  be  neglected.  The  first 
takes  on  a  corrupt  education  before  the  parents  are 
aware  of  it;  the  last,  after  parents  and  teachers 
had  supposed  the  education  had  been  fmished. 
Those  of  the  last  class  are  more  numerous  than  is 
generally  supposed.  Education  comes  almost  as  fre- 
quently to  the  bearded  man  as  to  the  beardless  boy. 

Those  who  seek  to  educate  children,  whether 
by  founding  schools  and  colleges  for  that  purpose, 
or  actually  engaging  in  the  labor  of  teaching,  are 
among  the  great  benefactors  of  mankind.  They 
confer  the  greatest  blessing  on  multitudes  by  sav- 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         165 

ing  them  from  a  life  of  ignorance  and  inefficiency, 
if  not  from  one  of  grossness  and  crime.  To  lead 
the  young  mind  along  the  beautiful  path  of  knowl- 
edge, to  admire  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God, 
is  an  act  like  charity,  twice  blessed ;  it  blesses  both 
the  giver  and  receiver.  Education  brings  out  the  ge- 
nius of  the  heart  as  well  as  the  strength  of  the  intel- 
lect, and  yokes  them  together  in  the  service  of  man. 

These  or  similar  reflections  came  to  me,  sug- 
gested, no  doubt,  by  the  talks  of  my  instructors 
during  my  brief  career  at  college.  Years  of  ob- 
servation have  only  confirmed  their  truth.  "The 
mind  is  the  measure  of  the  man,"  and  education, 
correct  or  perverted,  is  the  measure  of  the  mind. 

I  had  just  begun  to  enjoy  the  musing  of  soul 
which  one  feels  while  pursuing  studies  in  the 
classic  shades  of  college  life,  when  I  was  startled 
one  day  by  a  letter  draped  in  mourning.  What  a 
flutter  of  dread  went  to  my  heart !  I  saw  in  the 
next  instant  that  it  was  from  my  sister  in  Louisi- 
ana. With  nervous  haste  the  envelope  was  broken 
and  the  letter  read.  The  little  babe  had  died. 
When  about  six  months  old,  the  httle  fellow  was 
taken  with  the  croup.  The  skill  of  the  physician 
and  the  arts  of  the  nurse  were  alike  unavailing. 
Just  after  daylight,  having  suffered  all  night,  the 
babe  became  quiet.  Its  features  assumed  their 
natural  cast,  as  if  in  the  repose  of  slumber.  It  was, 
indeed,  the  last  long  sleep  of  death. 

That  night  I  sat  in  my  room  and  thought  of  the 
saddened  home  on  the  great  river.     Every  feature 


l66  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

of  that  home,  with  its  elegant  appointments  and 
spacious  surroundings,  was  so  vivid  in  my  memory. 
I  had  there  spent  pleasant  days  in  delightful  reveiie. 
While  I  could  not,  of  course,  feel  the  pangs  of  grief 
as  my  sister  expressed  them  in  her  letter,  yet  a  sad 
and  hopeful  sympathy  connected  me  with  all  the 
sorrowing  household.  I  entered  into  their  disap- 
pointment, their  hope.  I  thought  how  each  one 
would  be  affected  by  the  great  sorrow.  I  was 
confident  that  religious  faith  would  come  to  my 
sister's  relief.  To  her  the  smiting  hand  would  be 
wrapped  in  the  soft  folds  of  loving  designs. 

Then  I  looked  out  into  the  region  of  the  stars 
and  mused  on  the  mysteries  of  life  and  death.  It 
was  a  time  to  think  of  the  knowledge,  the  igno- 
rance, the  doubts,  and  the  hopes  of  mankind. 
The  mind  hung  over  the  problem  of  existence,  and 
felt  for  the  chord  of  sympathy  which  binds  all  be- 
ings in  the  bonds  of  a  noble  purpose.  What  is 
that  purpose?  Can  it  be  other  than  beneficent? 
Is  it  not  wiser  and  better  to  "trust  the  larger 
hope?"  The  man  must  be  heartless  who  could 
wish  to  clip  the  wings  of  faith  or  check  the  flight 
of  hope  when  the  soul  would  rise  above  the  ugly 
realities  of  sorrow  and  tears.  Mv  reveries  took 
the  form  of  verse,  and  I  penned  the  following  lines, 
which  I  sent  to  my  sister: 

The  Sweet  Little  Babe  That  Died. 

It  broke,  the  light  of  morn, 
The  haunts  of  earth  to  adorn 
Bright  as  a  dream  newborn ; 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  167 

And  night  unrolled  her  gloomy  folds 
From  bud  and  bloom  and  thorn, 
And  nature  glowed  as  from  new  molds. 

It  flowed,  the  stream  of  time, 

To  song  of  being's  rhyme. 

As  rang  the  morn's  sweet  chime; 
Like  crystal,  winding  ever  bright 

Beneath  the  bending  lime, 
It  flowed  in  morning's  waking  light. 

Ere  yet  the  sun  of  day 

Had  chased  the  dews  away, 

Whose  drops  on  every  spray 
Hung  like  angels'  quivering  tears; 

And  beauty's  mantle  lay 
On  all  the  scenes  of  hopes  and  fears; 

I  saw  a  bud  of  life. 

Ere  yet  the  pruning  knife 

Had  waked  the  pangs  of  strife. 
Just  o'er  the  pearly  waters  hung; 

With  flush  of  being  ripe. 
Its  fragrance  on  the  zephyrs  flung. 

Its  petaled  robe  of  light, 

In  beauty  woven  bright. 

Like  an  angel's  wing  in  flight, 
Was  barely  to  the  eye  unfurled; 

We  caught  but  hasty  sight 
Of  beauty  as  it  onward  whirled. 

I  looked;  an  angel  came; 

Her  eyes  showed  love's  pure  flame; 

A  light  was  round  her  frame; 
A  holy  purpose  stayed  her  flight. 

Our  joy  of  heart  grew  taine; 
Why  came  she  from  the  realms  of  light? 

She  plucked  with  hands  of  white 
The  bud  of  human  light; 
Then  fell  the  weight  of  night ; 


1 68  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

Then  rose  the  storm  with  sorrow  fraught. 

'Tis  but  a  cherub's  flight 
To  haunts  of  beings'  nobler  thought. 

Above  the  storm  cloud's  roar, 
Beyond  the  eagle's  soar, 
To  heaven's  lovely  shore 

The  angel  in  her  homeward  flight 
The  life  bud  kindly  bore. 

It  blooms  in  realms  of  endless  light. 

Bright  in  the  home  on  high. 
Where  never  breathes  a  sigh, 
And  all  the  good  are  nigh. 

That  bud  of  life  so  pure  above 
Matures  where  angels  fly 

Its  fruit  of  intellect  and  love. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
War. 

LIFE  at  college  was  now  running  smoothly. 
From  the  papers  which  came  from  home  and 
from  other  sections  of  the  South  we  knew  that 
excitement  was  constantly  at  fever  heat.  But  as 
this  now  seemed  to  be  the  normal  condition,  we 
had  become  accustomed  to  it.  We  were  out  of 
the  current,  and  glad  to  let  others  take  care  of  the 
country.  Aside  from  the  papers  we  heard  but 
little  of  politics  in  our  quiet  retreat.  The  young 
men,  especially  the  seniors,  frequently  had  the 
subject  up  for  debate  in  the  societies,  but  this 
made  little  or  no  impression. 

I  became  every  week  more  deeply  interested  in 
my  studies.  The  letters  constantly  received  from 
Susie,  for  we  kept  up  a  regular  correspondence, 
were  sprightly  and  witty,  full  of  hope,  and  teem- 
ing with  good  sense.  Those  letters  were  to  me  a 
source  of  inspiration  for  good. 

John  began  his  course  with  some  disadvantage. 
A  whole  year  out  of  school  could  not  be  entirely 
overcome,  even  by  the  most  extraordinary  dili- 
gence. But  he  was  rapidly  regaining  his  lost  pres- 
tige, and  we  all  knew  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time 
when  he  would  again  lead  in  the  classes.  Indeed, 
he  was  equal  to  the  best  of  us  now.     Dolph,  Dick, 

(169) 


170  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

and  the  Aliens  were  getting  on  well.  We  were  all 
ambitious  to  make  a  good  record  at  college. 

We  had,  in  fact,  become  so  intent  on  our  studies 
that  we  were  to  a  great  extent  oblivious  to  the  out- 
side world.  But  in  the  midst  of  our  abstractions 
we  were  startled  by  an  announcement  which 
seemed  to  shake  the  whole  fabric  of  society.  It 
was  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln !  The  Faculty 
were  unusually  concerned.  As  the  students  near- 
ly all  took  their  home  papers,  they  to  some  extent 
shared  in  the  state  of  public  feeling.  These  pa- 
pers showed  that  excitement  was  now  reaching 
white  heat. 

Secession  was  then  the  vital  question.  Vital  be- 
cause the  lives  of  a  million  men  hung  upon  the  issue  ! 
The  legal  right  of  a  state  to  secede  from  the  fed- 
eral union  was  the  all-absorbing  question.  In  its 
discussion  all  other  differences  were  forgotten. 
After  a  few  weeks'  discussion  the  great  majority 
of  the  people  South  seemed  to  be  convinced  that 
they  had  the  right  to  secede.  Behind  that  was  the 
question  of  expediency.  On  this  there  was  a  more 
decided  difference  of  opinion. 

Our  home  correspondence  now  greatly  increased. 
We  had  made  common  property  of  the  letters  so  far 
as  they  brought  the  eagerly  sought  news.  By  this 
correspondence  and  the  flood  of  papers,  which 
flowed  in  from  every  part  of  the  South,  we  had 
ample  means  of  knowing  the  state  of  feeling  and 
the  drift  of  the  arguments  used.  From  Will  Ben- 
son I  had  a  full  account  of  events  in  our  neighbor- 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         171 

hood.  Col.  Parker  had  taken  the  field  in  favor  of 
secession.  Our  usually  quiet  neighbor,  Maj.  Jones, 
represented  the  other  side.  Col.  Parker  contend- 
ed that  "  secession  is  the  only  way  left  us  to  pro- 
tect our  rights.  Our  rights  have  been  so  long  dis- 
regarded and  violated  that  we  have  absolutely  no 
security  that  they  will  be  respected  in  the  future. 
We  have,  in  fact,  every  assurance  that  they  will 
be  purposely  and  persistently  violated.  Things 
have  been  getting  worse  and  worse  for  years. 
Our  rights  have  been  despised  and  trampled  on 
in  every  possible  way,  every  day  for  years  past. 
These  things  have  been  done  while  the  government 
has  been  friendly,  or  at  least  indifferent.  Now 
with  the  government  hostile  to  our  peculiar  institu- 
tion, there  is  nothing  left  us  but  to  form  a  govern- 
ment of  our  own;  a  government  in  which  the 
rights  of  the  federal  Constitution,  so  long  violated, 
shall  find  safe  and  permanent  guarantees.  There 
is  no  use  to  disguise  the  fact  that  a  strong  and 
growing  faction  North  are  determined  to  break 
down  the  Constitution  left  us  by  our  fathers. 
They  intend  nothing  less  than  the  destruction  of 
slavery.  They  have  been  constantly  growing  in 
number  and  power  till  now  they  have  a  President 
to  occupy  the  high  and  honored  place  of  Washing- 
ton and  Jefferson.  We  must  act  now  or  tamely 
submit  to  insult,  and  cowardly  look  on  while  the 
grand  bulwark  of  liberty  formed  by  our  fathers, 
and  cemented  by  the  blood  of  patriots,  is  pulled 
down    before    our   eyes;    our   children    despoiled 


172  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

of  their  rightful  inheritance  and  left  to  beggary. 
Secession  cuts  the  Gordian  knot.  Once  sev- 
ered from  these  agitators,  peace  will  reign  su- 
preme. It  is  admitted  on  all  sides  that  we  have 
the  right  to  secede.  Then,  if  we  have  the  right  to 
secede,  no  government  has  a  right  to  object.  We 
only  do  what  we  have  the  right  to  do.  It  is  the 
right  which  adheres  in  a  sovereign  state.  We  went 
voluntarily  into  the  Union ;  we  can  go  voluntarily 
out.  Of  course  there  will  be  no  war.  The  gov- 
ernment has  no  right  to  make  war  on  a  state. 
The  state  is  anterior  to  the  government,  and  has 
rights  superior.  She  is  independent  and  can  do 
as  she  pleases.  All  we  have  to  do  is  to  put  on  a 
bold  front.  The  Northern  people  have  no  interest 
in  slavery,  and  have  no  idea  of  fighting  about  it. 
I  will  agree  to  drink  all  the  blood  that  will  be 
shed  in  this  quarrel." 

Maj.  Jones  replied:  "The  argument  for  the  le- 
gal right  of  secession,  viewed  from  the  platform  of 
state  rights,  seems  very  plausible.  But  what  we 
claim  and  what  others  will  admit  are  likely  to  be 
very  different  things.  I  do  not  believe  the  govern- 
ment will  concede  the  right  of  a  state  to  withdraw 
from  the  Union.  To  do  so  would  be  to  consent  to 
its  own  destruction.  If  one  state  may  secede,  all  the 
states  may  withdraw,  and  leave  no  government. 
To  admit  the  right  of  secession  is  to  give  up  all 
power  of  constraint,  and  at  once  deprive  a  great 
nation  of  all  nationality.  It  is  not  the  nature  of  gov- 
ernments   to    tamely    submit   to    dismemberment. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         I73 

This  fact  is  attested  by  all  history.  When  did  a 
government  ever  consent  to  disband?  Self-pres- 
ervation is  the  first  law  of  nations,  as  well  as  of 
nature.  We  have  in  common  with  all  people  the 
right  of  revolution.  But  that  is  a  desperate  venture. 
It  is  an  appeal  to  arms,  and  should  only  be  resorted 
to  in  extreme  cases.  Certainly  we  have  no  cause 
now  for  revolt.  The  government  has  done  noth- 
ing to  justify  revolt.  And  there  is  no  probability 
that  it  will  attempt  to  interfere  with  our  peculiar 
institution.  If  it  does,  then  will  be  time  enough  to 
try  the  expedient  of  forming  a  nev/  government. 
I  am  sure  that  such  an  attempt  at  any  time  will  be 
attended  by  a  bloody  war.  It  is  extremely  unwise 
to  provoke  such  a  calamity.  This  is  a  time  for 
cool,  clear-headed  wisdom,  and  not  for  passion; 
a  time  for  patience  and  forbearance,  and  not  for 
precipitant  haste." 

When  the  account  of  this  debate  was  read  we 
could  almost  see  Dolph  swelling  with  importance. 
He  threw  his  shoulders  back  and  walked  the  floor 
with  learned  and  pompous  airs.  He  at  once  pro- 
cured the  letter,  that  he  might  take  in  and  mental- 
ly assimilate  every  syllable  of  his  father's  speech. 
It  was  amusing  the  next  day  to  hear  him  holding 
forth  to  a  squad  of  boys  gathered  around,  who  evi- 
dently regarded  him  as  a  marvel  of  political  wis- 
dom. How  he  rolled  the  sentences!  What  a 
volume  of  meaning  there  seemed  to  be  in  the  sono- 
rous words!  "Yes,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "a 
sovereign  state  has  the  inherent  right  to  secede. 


174  ^^^^    WILLIAMS: 

The  states  were  anterior  to  the  general  govern- 
ment. They  were  sovereign  then ;  they  are  sover- 
eign now.  Voluntarily  they  went  into  the  Union, 
and  voluntarily  they  can  go  out.  The  states  hav- 
ing the  right  to  secede,  no  government  has  a  right 
to  object.  Then  of  course  there  will  be  no  war. 
Gentlemen,  I  will  agree  to  drink  every  drop  of 
blood  that  is  shed  in  this  quarrel."  Dolph  put  his 
thumbs  in  the  armholes  of  his  vest,  as  his  father 
would  have  done,  and  walked  around  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  having  merited  distinction.  But  his 
countenance  rather  fell  when  he  saw  John  and 
Dick  standing  behind  the  bower,  laughing  at  his 
eloquence. 

Similar  discussions  were  going  on  all  over  the 
country.  The  wildest  enthusiasm  prevailed,  and 
the  most  absurd  things  were  said,  with  the  most 
provoking  earnestness.  Some  of  the  papers  con- 
tended that  if  we  had  a  war  it  would  be  glorious- 
ly short.  It  would  be  a  mere  breakfast  spell  to 
whip  out  the  whole  Yankee  nation.  Some  of  the 
orators  could  whip  them,  one  against  ten.  One 
said:  "It  will  be  short  work  when  every  shot 
counts  a  pigeon."  The  speeches  were  calculated 
to  make  the  impression  that  if  we  did  have  a  shght 
brush,  it  would  not  be  worth  while  to  go  over  and 
count  the  enemy's  slain,  unless  we  naturally  had 
a  mind  to ;  it  would  be  just  the  same  to  count  the 
number  of  shots  from  our  side.  These  ut- 
terances, in  the  light  of  the  history  that  has  been 
made,  give  fresh  meaning  to  the  ancient  proverb: 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  1 75 

"  Whom  the  Gods  wish  to  destroy  they  first  make 
mad." 

While  these  discussions  were  waxing  more  and 
more  fierce,  and  passion  was  everywhere  gaining 
ascendency,  matters  were  still  more  complicated  by 
the  secession  of  South  Carolina.  It  now  looked 
like  the  die  was  cast.  This  brought  unusual  stir 
to  the  college.  Discipline  was  almost  impossible. 
Profitable  study  was  out  of  the  question.  The 
South  Carolina  students  held  a  meeting  and  asked 
permission  of  the  Faculty  to  return  home.  The 
Faculty  promised  to  consider  the  matter,  and  ad- 
vised the  young  men  to  be  patient  and  await  fur- 
ther developments.  These  were  not  long  coming. 
The  wires  soon  flashed  the  news  that  Mississippi 
had  followed  the  example  of  South  Carolina. 

Each  vv^eek  brought  new  developments.  State 
after  state  went  out.  Soon  the  representatives  of 
these  states  met  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  organ- 
ized the  Confederate  States  of  America.  Thus, 
before  we  could  fully  realize  the  fact,  our  homes 
were  in  one  country,  and  we  in  another.  The 
Virginians,  good-naturedly,  called  us  foreigners. 
To  make  the  impression  still  more  real,  some  pa- 
pers down  South  placed  under  the  head  of  "  For- 
eign "  the  news  from  the  States  outside  of  the  Con- 
federacy- 

Thus  we  had  tvvo  governments  standing  face  to 
face.  The  attitude  of  the  new  government  could 
only  be  defiant;  that  of  the  old  was  of  bold  watch- 
fulness.    Thus,    like    two    ferocious  beasts,  they 


176  SAM   WILLIAMS; 

eyed  each  other  before  making  the  assault.  It 
was  the  fearful  pause  before  the  deadly  struggle. 

"  Will  there  be  war?"  was  the  all-absorbing  ques- 
tion which  quivered  on  every  lip  and  burned  in 
every  heart,  during  all  this  time  of  terrible  suspense. 
As  if  to  give  sharp  point  to  the  question,  military 
companies  were  forming  all  over  the  country. 
Fiery  speeches  were  made;  burning  philippics 
filled  the  papers.  The  drum  and  fife  were  every- 
where used  to  inspire  the  martial  spirit.  The  forts, 
arsenals,  and  munitions  of  war  in  different  parts  of 
the  South  were  taken  charge  of  by  the  Confeder- 
ate Government.  Only  one  fort  held  out  against 
the  demand  for  surrender.  That  was  Fort  Sum- 
ter, near  Charleston,  S.  C.  The  attention  of  the 
whole  country  was  now  directed  to  that  fort, 
standing  as  it  did  like  a  faithful  sentinel  in  the 
midst  of  universal  alarm.  During  all  this  season 
of  warlike  preparation,  we  heard  of  negotiations 
going  on  between  representatives  of  the  two  gov- 
ernments. How  many  hopes  hung  on  these  ru- 
mors !     How  soon  were  they  dashed  to  pieces ! 

These  days  of  suspense,  like  everything  else, 
must  have  an  end.  So,  when  winter  was  gone, 
and  nature  was  putting  on  the  peaceful  livery  of 
spring,  the  wires  grew  hot  with  the  terrible  news 
that  the  war  had  already  begun.  The  Confeder- 
ates were  firing  on  Fort  Sumter. 

This  completely  demoralized  the  college,  and 
put  discipline  at  an  end.  The  Faculty  at  once  gave 
permission  for  all  the  young  men  from  the  seceded 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  1 77 

states  to  return  home.  Having  advices  from  our 
parents  to  the  same  effect,  all  from  our  neigh- 
borhood agreed  to  start  home  in  two  days.  Thus 
suddenly  and  sadly  our  college  career  came  to  an 
end.  That  day  I  learned  by  letter  that  Will  Ben- 
son was  forming  a  company.  This  brought  the 
matter  near  home.  ^ 

Only  a  few  months  ago  our  country  seemed  the 
very  abode  of  peace.  Now  war  was  at  our  very 
doors.  So  we  have  seen  the  calm  afternoon, 
when  all  nature  drooped  in  the  quietness  of  peace- 
ful repose,  when  all  at  once  the  forces  of  the  storm 
began  to  gather.  The  wrathful  lightning  in  fear- 
ful flashes  was  only  equaled  by  the  deep-mouthed 
howl  and  roar  of  "  heaven's  loud  artillery."  Thus 
the  storm  of  war  was  now  rushing  on  with  fearful 
potence.  The  tempestuous  sky  was  every  hour 
growing  more  lurid.  None  could  foresee  the  re- 
sults ;  none  could  tell  who  would  make  up  the  hec- 
atombs of  victims. 

Our  little  company  in  its  homeward  flight  was 
seemingly  gay  and  happy.  But  back  of  all  our 
coruscations  of  wit  and  humor  plainly  stood  the 
background  of  apprehension.  We  returned  by 
Nashville  for  the  young  ladies.  Susie,  as  I  now 
saw  her,  through  the  gathering  mists  of  uncertainty, 
looked  more  charming  than  ever. 

As  soon  as  we  crossed  the  line  into  our  native 

state  we  could  see  everywhere  the  evidences  of  high 

enthusiasm.     "  The  banner  with  a  strange  device  " 

was  floating  in  all  the  depot  towns  and  from  many 

12 


lyS  SAM   WILLIAMS. 

private  houses.  Ladies  on  the  train  wore  the  min- 
iature flag  pinned  to  their  dress  fronts,  while  gen- 
tlemen sported  the  same  colors  on  their  hats.  We 
saw  several  companies  drilling  to  the  martial 
strains  of  drum  and  fife.  People  were  unusuall}'" 
gay  and  sprightly.  It  looked  as  if  a  universal  hol- 
iday had  been, proclaimed. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
A  Soldier. 

WHEN  we  reached  our  native  state  and  saw 
the  new  flag  floating  in  every  breeze,  we 
felt  that  we  too  were  out  of  the  Union.  The  old 
country  was  left  behind ;  our  allegiance  was  due  to 
the  new.  But  the  division  of  the  country  into  two 
governments  was  to  me  a  humiliation.  I  had 
loved  my  country,  admired  her  greatness,  gloried 
in  her  future  possibilities,  revered  her  flag.  My 
bosom  had  swelled  with  emotion  as  I  thought  how 
that  flag  was  respected  by  all  nations. 

Now  this  was  all  passed.  Instead  of  a  great 
government  respected  by  all  the  world,  we  are  now 
to  have  petty  states.  As  there  is  no  supreme  law 
to  hold  the  states  together,  we  are  likely  to  have 
endless  division;  for  the  least  dissatisfaction,  of 
which  there  is  generally  a  good  supply  on  hand, 
will  be  sufficient  at  any  time  to  cause  any  number 
of  states  to  withdraw  from  either  of  the  govern- 
ments now  established,  and  form  still  another. 
American  unity  is  likely  to  be  even  a  greater  im- 
possibility than  German  unity  has  been. 

With  all  this  there  was  sure  to  come  insignifi- 
cance. We  would  no  longer  have  a  government 
great  enough  to  claim  the  proud  title  of  America. 
America  would  still  be  a  broad  land,  but  no  longer 

(179) 


I  So  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

a  great  nation.  But  a  jumble  of  petty  states  whose 
good  opinion  nobody  would  be  concerned  to  court. 
And  I  gave  to  the  waning  glory  of  America  a  sigh 
profound  as  it  was  sincere.  It  never  occurred  to 
me  that  it  was  otherwise  than  my  duty  to  stand  by 
my  native  state  at  all  risks.  Nor  did  I  have  an 
idea  that  since  the  states  were  determined  to  secede, 
that  they  could  ever  be  prevented  from  doing  so. 
I  simply  had  to  be  reconciled  to  the  new  order  of 
things. 

Are  we  to  become  soldiers?  This  question  had 
been  one  of  growing  interest  from  the  time  we  left 
college.  I  noticed  that  the  military  enthusiasm  of 
our  party  rose  rapidly  after  we  got  under  the  do- 
main of  the  Confederate  flag.  It  could  not  have 
been  otherwise.  Martial  enthusiasm  was  in  the 
very  air  we  breathed.  Everybody  was  elated. 
The  whole  country  was  buoyant.  Men  were  ex- 
ultant over  the  fact  that  the  Gordian  knot  had  been 
cut  once  for  all.  We  were  to  have  no  more  agita- 
tion about  slavery.  That  question  is  at  last  settled. 
And  if  we  do  have  a  little  war,  it  will  soon  be  over. 
Thus  everybody  was  hopeful.  Some  even  went  so 
far  as  to  say  that  war  is  necessary  to  cement  the 
new  state.  To  gain  by  arms  what  is  ours  by  right 
will  be  the  fitting  laurel  of  glory  with  which  the 
new  government  is  to  be  crowned.  "  Hurrah  for 
the  Southern  Confederacy!  "  "Hurrah  for  Jeff 
Davis!  "  "Hurrah  for  the  brave  men  who  will 
defend  our  rights  !  " 

These  and  like  huzzas  we  heard  all  along  the 


A  TALE   OF   THE  OLD   SOUTH.  ibl 

way.  They  came  from  the  lusty  throats  of  strong 
men.  They  fell  from  the  dainty  lips  of  lovely 
women.  Of  course  we  caught  the  fire.  Dolph 
was  especially  zealous.  He  was  only  afraid  that 
the  war  would  be  over  before  he  could  get  a  chance 
to  fight. 

I  was  glad  to  get  back.  But  the  dear  old  home 
was  already  changed.  A  deep  shadow  rested  on 
its  threshold.  I  came  to  a  saddened  household. 
While  peace  still  lingered,  the  sunshine  of  hope 
was  dim.  I  was  surprised  and  grieved  to  see  fa- 
ther look  so  careworn  and  broken.  Mother,  too, 
was  sad.  Both  looked  much  older.  I  just  now 
realized  the  fact  that  my  parents  were  rapidly 
growing  old.  The  prospect  of  war  was  already 
telling  fearfully  on  their  declining  strength.  I 
here  tasted  the  first  bitter  fruit  of  the  war.  Their 
son-in-law,  Will  Benson,  had  been  elected  captain 
of  a  company.  So  he  was  in  for  the  war.  This 
was  to  them  a  source  of  great  anxiety. 

I  found  that  father  by  no  means  shared  in  the 
hopeful  view  as  to  the  shortness  of  the  war.  He 
said  that  it  would  be  a  desperate  struggle,  and  in- 
volve a  terrible  sacrifice  of  life  and  treasure.  And 
all  to  no  purpose.  He  was  clearly  of  the  opinion 
that  the  war  would  be  the  end  of  slavery.  He  and 
mother  were  very  averse  to  my  going  into  the  war. 
They  needed  my  help  at  home  in  their  old  age. 

According  to  my  father's  gloomy  view  of  the 
war,  soldiering  was  likely  to  become  a  serious 
business.     The  startling  developments  every  week 


l82  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

seemed  to  confirm  that  view.  Military  enthusiasm 
was  not  one  of  the  noble  weaknesses  of  my  nature. 
I  was  a  lover  of  peace.  I  most  heartily  wished 
that  there  was  no  war.  But  what  was  I  to  do? 
This  was  a  practical  question.  It  did  not  consult 
my  preferences  nor  hinge  on  my  theories.  The 
state  was  calling  for  troops.  My  parents  really 
needed  my  help.  Which  is  the  first,  the  family  or 
the  state?  Perhaps  always  the  family.  But  in 
great  emergencies  the  obligations  to  family  and 
state  blend  into  one,  and  the  family  is  best  served 
by  serving  the  state. 

I  was  certain  that  most,  if  not  all,  of  my  associ- 
ates would  enlist.  What  will  they  and  the  com- 
munity expect  of  me?  What  do  my  parents  expect 
of  me?  Their  sadness  would  be  greatly  increased 
by  my  going.  But  do  they  really  expect  me  to 
stay?  Thus  by  judicious  weighing  of  motives,  I 
was  balanced  on  the  line  of  uncertainty.  Was 
this  a  balance  between  inclination  and  duty,  or 
between  inclination  and  pride?  Motives  are  very 
subtle,  and  often  wear  strange  disguises. 

Deep  down  in  my  nature  I  was  conscious  of  a  more 
powerful  incentive,  an  oracle  whose  word  would 
at  once  have  decided  the  case.  What  would 
Susie  expect  of  me?  I  could  face  any  danger 
that  Susie  approved.  I  could  "  run  through  a 
troop  or  leap  over  a  wall"  for  Susie.  I  could  stay 
quietly  at  home  and  be  regarded  as  a  coward  by 
the  world,  if  only  by  this  Susie  would  be  drawn 
closer    to    me.     Here    the    stiff-featured    moralist 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         183 

who  sees  an  imp  of  Satan  perched  in  every  smile 
loses  all  patience  and  exclaims:  "  Duty  !  Duty  is 
the  only  criterion  of  action!"  Yes,  verily;  but 
what  is  duty?  Are  we  likely  to  deviate  very  far 
from  the  path  of  duty  when  we  make  the  purest  hu- 
man love  of  which  human  nature  is  capable  the  cri- 
terion of  our  action?  In  the  great  emergencies  of  life 
we  often  can  find  no  direct  command  telling  us  to 
do  this  or  that.  True,  the  great  principles  are  given 
for  the  guide  of  conduct.  But  these  principles 
have  to  be  interpreted  by  our  consciousness  of 
right.  The  interpretation  of  principles  by  con- 
sciousness gives  conscience.  Trueness  to  con- 
science gives  character.  When  are  we  more  likely 
to  follow  the  leadings  of  conscience^  and  thus  be 
true  to  ourselves,  than  when  we  are  true  to  our  no- 
blest human  loves?  Is  not  even  our  love  for  God 
developed  from  the  human  side?  Can  we  suppose 
that  God  is  displeased  when  we  yield  to  the 
strongest  feeling  he  has  planted  in  our  nature? 
To  sacrifice  everything  to  the  noblest,  purest  love, 
gives  to  man  the  grandest  type  of  character.  I 
could  not  but  believe  that  Susie  was  like  most  other 
women;  that  while  she  would  shrink  from  the 
danger  involved,  she  must  admire  the  courage  and 
applaud  the  heroism  that  stands  firm  in  the  hour  of 
danger.     So  I  resolved  to  be  a  soldier. 

Capt.  Benson's  company  was  not  so  full  but 
there  was  room  for  the  "  College  Brigade,"  as  we, 
the  returned  college  boys,  were  called.  We  at 
once  became  important.     From  the  state  of  school- 


184  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

boys,  at  one  stride  we  became  men.  Yea,  in  com- 
mon with  all  the  members  of  our  company,  we  be- 
came distinguished  men;  the  country's  brave 
defenders;  the  heroes  to  defend  a  nation's  great- 
ness; sons  of  the  noble  sires  of  '76.  What  a 
power  is  war  to  make  one  great!  How  easily  one 
steps  from  the  seclusion  of  private  life  into  the 
glare  of  military  glory ! 

About  one-third  of  our  company  were  from  Plum 
Creek  neighborhood.  These  sun-browned  sons 
of  toil,  unknown  before,  were  now  toasted  and 
praised  by  the  elite  of  the  great  plantations.  Their 
awkward  manners  and  rude  speech  no  longer 
shocked  the  tender  nerves  of  wealth. 

The  artificial  grooves  worn  in  the  stratum  of 
manners  by  the  long  years  of  peace  are  obliterated 
by  war.  The  entire  basis  of  respectability  is 
changed.  Bravery  becomes  the  passport  to  every 
distinction.  Consequently  war  brings  new  men  to 
the  front.  Indeed,  war  erects  a  new  front  of  its 
own,  and  the  brave  only  are  conspicuous  on  its 
crest. 

As  our  courage  had  not  been  tested,  our  heroism 
was  taken  for  granted.  Everybody  thought  or 
said  we  were  brave,  and  we  thought  or  pretended 
to  think  so  too.  Many  were  the  flattering  remarks 
that  we  heard.  We  were  the  men  to  make  a  short 
and  glorious  war.  We  were  to  hang  the  chaplets 
of  victory  around  the  brow  of  the  young  giant 
among  the  nations.  Generations  3^et  unborn  are 
to  rise  up  and  call  us  blessed.     Thus  the  old  men 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  185 

gave  us  encouragement.  Thus  the  matrons  in- 
spired our  fortitude.  Thus  the  maidens  smiled  us 
on  to  victory. 

Our  company  was  ordered  to  remain  at  home 
and  drill  for  the  present.  Special  stress  being 
laid  upon  the  drilHng.  An  old  veteran  of  the 
Mexican  War  was  at  hand  to  teach  us  militar}^  tac- 
tics. We  could  have  remained  at  home  and  drilled 
every  day,  but  it  was  thought  best  to  go  into  camp 
to  inure  us  to  the  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life. 
As  it  was  now  balmy  spring  weather,  our  military 
life  was  delightful.  It  reminded  us  so  much  of  the 
camp  hunt  or  the  fishing  frolic.  Then  if  we  had 
rain  and  things  about  the  camp  were  wet  and  un- 
pleasant, it  was  so  easy  to  get  furloughed  and  go 
home,  or  go  and  see  our  sweethearts,  and  be  toast- 
ed as  heroes  around  the  family  circle.  We  began 
to  think  "soldiering"  a  delightful  business. 

It  was  a  time  of  high  enjoyment.  Our  camp 
was  the  center  of  gay  festivities  for  the  whole 
neighborhood.  The  old  men  came  and  told  all  the 
anecdotes  they  knew  of  martial  adventures  of  other 
days.  Many  of  these  anecdotes  were  greatly  mu- 
tilated by  time,  still  they  were  much  enjoyed  by  the 
narrators.  Every  one  who  had  a  speech,  however 
old  and  musty,  was  now  expected  to  hand  it  round. 
Great  was  the  feast  of  antiquated  wit !  But  it  was 
all  made  fresh  by  the  foam  of  unfermented  milita- 
ry enthusiasm.  The  matrons  of  the  neighborhood 
came,  and  by  their  motherly  solicitude  touched  our 
hearts  with  a  new  love  for  home  and  native  land. 


l86  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

The  young  ladies  came,  and  by  their  confidence 
and  hope  inspired  us  with  new  incentives  to  nobler 
endeavor. 

It  was  delightful,  and  sometimes  amusing,  to  see 
these  young  ladies  trying  to  bridge  the  chasm 
which  wealth  and  culture  had  deepened  between 
the  aristocratic  slave-owning  population  and  the 
white  toilers  of  the  neighboring  hills.  "  My  dear 
Mr.  Smith,  do  have  some  more  of  this  lemonade. 
It  is  some  of  my  own  mixing;  spiced  with  elixir 
and  dashed  with  sherry."  "  I  know  hit's  powerful 
good,  Miss  Fannie.  I  do  b'lieve,  though,  I've 
drunk  mighty  nigh  a  quart  already.  I  reckin 
though  it  won't  hurt  a  feller."  And  the  unsophis- 
ticated soldier  drained  the  glass.  While  the  lus- 
cious drops  of  the  liquid  were  still  hanging  on  the 
rich  luster  of  his  lips  like  officeseekers  around  the 
door  of  patronage,  he  said:  "Am!  that's  mighty 
good,  Miss  Fannie."  "  I'm  so  glad  you  enjoy  it. 
Let  me  prepare  you  another  glass,  Mr.  Smith." 
"No,  thank  you,  Miss  Fannie;  I'm  plumb  full 
now." 

Thus  war  laps  the  extremes  of  society.  The 
love  of  country  and  the  sense  of  common  danger 
welds  them  together.  Thus  patriotism  becomes 
the  band  which  draws  society  into  closer  union, 
and  holds  the  state  together. 

But  if  our  Plum  Creek  volunteers  were  un- 
taught in  the  amenities  of  plantation  society,  we 
were  all  at  equal  disadvantages  in  the  matter  of 
military  discipline.     Our  "line"   more  often  de- 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  187 

scribed  the  section  of  a  circle.  It  was  sometimes 
serpentine.  And  at  all  times  we  found  it  hard  to 
"  dress." 

At  the  command,  "Forward  march!"  some 
boys  would  start  in  advance  of  others.  The  com- 
mand seemed  not  to  reach  at  once  all  the  centers 
of  activity.  Like  a  boy  setting  off  a  row  of  fire- 
crackers, he  fired  all  at  once;  yet,  because  the 
fuses  were  of  different  lengths,  the  popping  was 
irregular.  A  dozen  boys  scattered  along  down 
the  line  would  start  together;  then  another  lot 
would  get  themselves  in  motion;  then  still  an- 
other; and  a  few  would  lag  entirely  behind.  Our 
line  in  motion  was  something  like  a  shaft  in  a  ma- 
chine shop,  with  cranks  or  eccentrics  set  at  differ- 
ent angles:  while  some  were  coming  up  others 
were  going  down.  But  a  little  practice  gave  us 
the  "  step,"  and  in  a  few  months  we  could  drill 
like  veterans. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Fighting. 

WE  had  been  in  camp  over  a  month  when  we 
were  ordered  to  a  camp  of  rendezvous 
about  seventy  miles  north,  where  the  regiment  was 
to  be  formed.     We  moved  toward  the  front. 

My  farewell  to  Susie  was  sad.  No  feigned  mar- 
tial enthusiasm,  no  assumed  gayety  of  manner  be- 
fitting a  soldier'  s  life  could  hide  the  fact.  Susie 
saw  through  the  pretense,  and  instead  of  military 
alacrity  saw  only  a  reluctant  compliance  with  the 
demands  of  duty. 

Maj.  Allen  had  a  very  trusty  servant  named 
George  who  was  to  go  and  look  after  his  two  boys; 
and  as  it  was  unnecessary  for  us  to  have  more  than 
one,  it  was  arranged  that  George  was  to  be  cook 
for  our  mess. 

As  we  were  leaving  camp  the  news  of  the  victory 
at  Big  Bethel  greatly  excited  our  ardor.  We  were 
more  than  ever  afraid  the  war  would  be  over  be- 
fore we  could  cover  ourselves  with  glory.  In  all 
speeches  of  this  kind  Dolph  was  the  spokesman 
for  our  mess. 

After  the  organization  of  our  regiment,  drilling 

went  on  more  vigorously  than  ever.     The  news  of 

the  great  victory  at  Bull  Run  almost  set  us  wild. 

The  boys  clamored  to  be  sent  to  Virginia,  as  all 

(188) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         189 

the  fighting  was  to  be  done  there.  "  It  is  unjust  to 
hold  us  away  from  the  field  of  glory.  The  great 
battle  of  the  war  has  already  been  fought,  and  we 
are  kept  here  ingloriously  idle."  Such  were  the 
impatient  murmurs. 

But  we  were  to  some  extent  pacified  by  a  move 
toward  the  front,  and  the  promise  of  a  fight  in  the 
near  future.  The  more  thoughtful  men  among  us 
were  of  the  opinion  that  we  would  soon  have  fight- 
ing enough.  The  unprecedented  calls  for  sol- 
diers by  both  governments,  and  the  widespread 
enthusiasm  North  and  South,  indicated  a  bloody 
struggle.  The  giants  were  arming  for  the  contest. 
The  work  of  organization  was  vigorously  pushed  all 
along  the  line  from  Western  Missouri  to  the  Atlan- 
tic ocean. 

Our  first  service  was  on  the  Tennessee  River  in 
defense  of  Fort  Henry.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  in 
autumn  when  we  pitched  our  tents  on  the  shore  of 
that  placid  stream.  Its  rippling  waters  gave  no 
sign  of  the  coming  storm.  If  we  had  been  on  a 
pleasure  excursion  and  camping  out  for  recreation, 
no  more  appropriate  spot  could  have  been  chosen. 
It  was  a  place  to  commune  with  nature,  and  study 
the  lesson  of  peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men. 

One  day  the  officers  sent  the  "  College  Brigade  " 
down  the  river  to  reconnoiter.  I  suppose  they 
sent  us  for  exercise,  for  there  was  no  evidence  of  an 
opposing  force  within  fifty  miles  of  us.  But  we 
were  entirely  ignorant  of  that  fact,  and  went  on 
the  lookout  for  real  Yankees. 


ipO  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

The  situation  was  novel.  Never  did  a  company 
do  more  genuine  looking.  Every  distant  stump, 
especially  if  it  had  a  broken  limb  to  represent  a 
gun,  became  an  object  of  special  scrutiny.  A  one- 
horned  cow,  blazed  faced,  with  head  erect,  in  the 
distance,  looking  right  at  us,  demanded  very  care- 
ful observation.  The  further  we  went  the  more 
nervous  we  became.  About  two  miles  from  camp 
a  homesick  feeling  came  over  us.  We  were 
moving  along  close  to  a  little  slough,  looking  in- 
tently as  far  as  we  could  see  in  the  forest,  when  a 
bullfrog,  disturbed  by  our  invasion  of  his  privacy, 
gave  a  keen,  characteristic  screech,  and  went 
head  foremost  into  the  water.  We  jumped  like  a 
rifle  had  been  shot  at  us. 

This  broke  the  spell.  We  laughed  a  dry  grin, 
and  held  a  counsel  of  war;  agreed  to  say  nothing 
of  the  frog  panic  on  our  return  to  camp,  but  to  lay 
aside  this  childish  nervousness  and  be  soldiers. 

Our  mettle  was  soon  put  to  the  test.  We  had 
stubborn  fighting  for  nearly  two  weeks.  During 
this  time,  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donaldson  both 
surrendered,  after  the  most  heroic  resistance.  We 
retreated  to  Nashville. 

Our  next  position  was  at  Corinth.  Everything 
indicated  an  important  battle  near  that  place  in  a 
short  time.  We  scarcely  had  time  to  get  ourselves 
in  order  before  we  were  put  on  the  march  to  meet 
the  Union  forces  which  were  gathering  at  the  land- 
ing on  the  Tennessee  River  about  twenty  miles  dis- 
tant.    The  battle  of  Shiloh  is  a  part  of  history.     I 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  I9I 

am  now  interested  only  in  the  part  taken  by  our 
company. 

About  6  o'clock,  April  6,  the  action  began.  For 
a  time  we  were  held  in  position,  waiting  orders. 
The  smoke  of  battle  filled  the  air.  The  roar  of 
the  guns  was  growing  more  terrific.  We  could 
see  the  line  of  ambulances  to  our  right  carrying 
back  the  wounded.  The  bullets  were  whistling 
close  about  us,  and  bombs  were  bursting  not  far 
off,  while  cannon  balls  were  shattering  the  trees, 
sometimes  directly  over  us.  Inaction  under  fire 
was  a  trying  ordeal.  The  order  to  advance  was  a 
relief.  We  advanced  rapidly,  still  reserving  our 
fire.  All  this  time  we  could  hear  the  sharp  clicks 
as  the  bullets  were  hitting  objects  about  us ;  then 
a  dull  thud  as  a  fellow-soldier  was  struck.  The 
order  to  fire  came  and  had  the  effect  to  steady  our 
ranks. 

Before  I  realized  the  fact  we  were  under  a  heavy 
fire,  and  comrades  were  falling  from  our  ranks.  I 
was  almost  blinded  by  smoke  and  deafened  by 
noise.  The  command  to  charge  was  barely  heard, 
amid  the  din  of  battle.  Our  advance  became  a 
run.  I  knew  by  the  dense  smoke  and  increasing 
noise  that  we  were  close  on  the  Union  lines.  I 
thought  I  heard  the  word  bayonets,  and  all  the 
company  brought  their  guns  to  a  level,  as  we  still 
charged  onward.  I  thought  we  would  be  right 
among  the  opposing  forces.  But  the  noise  ceased 
and  the  field  before  us  cleared.  We  had  routed 
the    enemy   from   that   position.     We  were  com- 


192  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

manded  to  halt;  and  when  drawn  up  in  line,  I  saw 
for  the  first  time  that  we  were  fearfully  thinned. 
The  "College  Brigade"  was  still  intact.  While 
we  were  standing  there  an  officer  of  high  rank,  I 
think  he  was  the  brigade  commander,  rode  by,  and 
waving  his  hand,  said:  "  Soldiers,  that  was  a  bril- 
Hant  charge.  I  am  proud  of  your  gallant  daring." 
That  was  to  me  the  first  intimation  that  we  had 
distinguished  ourselves.  There  was  too  much  to 
be  done  to  think  of  what  had  been  accomplished. 
The  fighting  was  not  so  severe  with  us  for  some 
time,  but  there  was  scarcely  a  cessation  in  the 
firing.  Our  foes  fought  stubbornly  all  the  time,  as 
they  fell  back,  till  they  took  a  decided  stand,  as 
they  did  again  and  again;  then  they  fought  des- 
perately. In  a  great  battle  we  take  little  note  of 
time.  During  a  pause  in  the  struggle  I  looked  at 
my  watch,  and  was  surprised  to  find  it  was  past  12 
o'clock.  In  the  afternoon  we  came  in  range  of  a 
battery  on  a  rise  several  hundred  yards  in  front  of 
us.  The  battery  was  well  supported,  and  was 
dealing  death  and  destruction  to  our  ranks.  Sev- 
eral unsuccessful  attempts  had  been  made  to  si- 
lence these  guns.  Our  brigade,  now  not  larger 
than  a  regiment,  was  ordered  to  take  that  battery. 
That  was  a  fearful  command.  But  we  were  flushed 
with  victory.  The  thought  of  failure,  or  of  living 
to  see  a  failure,  never  entered  our  minds. 

The  charge  had  to  be  made  over  a  deep  ravine, 
now  muddy  from  recent  rains.  We  hastily  drew 
up  in  line  and  went  off  at  a  brisk  march,  reserving 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         I93 

the  charge  proper  till  we  could  get  nearer  the  bat- 
tery. Aided  by  the  smoke  and  a  feint  made  at 
another  point,  our  purpo§e  was  not  suspected  until 
we  had  rrade  half  the  distance.  The  fire  was  then 
directed  to  us,  and  we  charged  double-quick,  or 
quicker !  We  raised  the  rebel  yell  as  we  dashed 
into  the  blaze  of  the  cannon  and  the  more  de- 
structive bullets  of  the  small  arms. 

Our  ranks  were  fearfully  thinned,  but  our  offi- 
cers kept  them  closed  as  we  advanced.  Those 
who  saw  the  charge  from  the  rear  said  the  line 
grew  sensibly  shorter  as  it  charged  so  fearlessly 
into  the  jaws  of  death.  I  kept  b}^  the  side  of  John 
Henderson  till  we  were  in  thirty  feet  of  the  battery. 
How  he  got  ahead  I  cannot  tell,  unless  it  was  on 
account  of  better  muscle. 

The  battery  showed  no  signs  of  wavering.  We 
were  in  very  touch  with  the  blaze  of  the  guns.  John 
silenced  the  first  gun.  The  bayonets  gleamed 
right  across  the  touchholes,  and  the  gunners  just 
had  to  give  back.  The  battery  was  ours,  and  we 
had  a  little  time  to  think  and  observe.  I  noticed 
that  John  was  smoking — not  comfortably  puffing  a 
cigar — but  his  clothes  were  on  fire,  having  caught 
from  the  blaze  of  the  cannon. 

Our  company  was  the  first  to  reach  and  silence 
the  guns,  and  John  was  its  gallant  leader,  with  bay- 
onet presented.  His  conduct  was  noticed,  and  he 
received  a  captain's  commission  for  bravery  on  the 
field.  Our  company  was  warmly  commended,  as 
was  also  the  entire  brigade,  for  this  gallant  charge. 


194  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

It  was  glory  at  a  fearful  sacrifice.  When  Capt. 
Benson  drew  us  up  in  line,  more  than  half  the 
men  were  missing,  among  them  Ben  and  Joe  Al- 
len. We  hoped  they  were  only  wounded.  But 
even  that  hope  was  of  short  duration.  They  had 
fallen  near  together,  apparently  without  a  strug- 
gle. 

Night  cams  at  last,  and  the  first  day  of  the  Shiloh 
contest  was  over.  We  had  been  through  the  thick- 
est of  the  fight,  but  had  seen  little  of  the  battle. 
Men  who  fight  in  the  ranks  have  no  time  to  observe 
the  movements  of  a  great  battle.  That  night  we 
slept  on  the  field  of  victory,  in  the  tents  and  camp 
of  the  enemy.  Exhausted  nature  must  sleep,  de- 
spite the  cries  of  the  suffering  or  the  torrents  of 
rain.  Why  is  it  the  general  rule  that  rain  follows 
a  great  battle?  Is  it  because  of  the  concussion  of 
the  atmosphere  so  akin  to  thunder?  Does  rain 
come  as  a  help  or  hurt  to  the  feverish  wounded? 
That  night  I  thought  it  might  be  that  heaven,  in 
pity,  was  relieving  by  absorption  the  burning 
thirst  of  the  wounded  and  dying. 

As  the  pitiful  cries  of  pain  fell  on  my  drowsy 
ears,  and  the  loss  of  companions  weighed  like  lead 
on  my  heart,  the  thought  which  burned  into  my 
very  soul,  as  tired  nature  sunk  to  rest,  was  that 
war  is  man's  shame,  and  never  can  be  his  glory. 

During  the  night  the  Union  army  was  reenforced 
bythe  arrival  of  Gen.  Buell's  command.  Nextmarn- 
ing  we  were  attacked  by  an  energy  born  of  despera- 
tion and  returning  hope.     The  fight  of  yesterday 


A  TALE   OF    THE   OLD   SOUTH.  I95 

was  reversed  to-day.  We  disputed  every  inch  of 
ground,  but  were  forced  back,  and  dark  found  us 
at  Shiloh  church,  just  where  the  battle  began  the 
previous  morning.  The  loss  in  our  company  was 
not  as  great  as  it  was  the  day  before,  though  it  was 
considerable.  Dick  Webb  had  received  a  severe 
flesh  wound,  but  kept  with  us. 

When  we  had  settled  down  for  the  night,  George 
found  our  camp.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had 
seen  him  since  the  death  of  Ben  and  Joe.  As  he 
came  up  and  stood  in  the  dim,  weird  light  of  the 
camp  fire,  he  looked  the  very  image  of  distress. 
Sorrow  spoke  in  every  feature.  He  stood  silent 
for  a  moment,  as  if  mastering  his  emotion,  so  as  to 
speak  intelligently.  He  began:  "I  wants  you, 
please,  to  help  me  bury  my  young  massas.  De  las' 
thing  ole  massa  tole  me  was,  if  de  boys  fell  on  de 
battlefiel',  to  bury  dem  whar  de  graves  could  be 
foun'.  '  Fori  want,'  says  he,  '  to  bring 'em  home 
to  de  ole  cem't'ry.'  " 

Dolph  was  the  one  to  speak:  "Why,  George,  it  is 
impossible  to  get  to  them.  It  is  a  mile  and  a  half 
to  where  they  fell,  and  the  whole  Yankee  army  is 
between  here  and  there." 

"No,  massa,"  George  replied,  "  dey's  right 
down  dis  hollow,  not  more'n  a  half  mile  off.  I 
brought  dem  back  las'  night,  an'  to-day,  when  I 
seed  our  army  wus  comin'  back,  I  moved  'em 
ag'in,  an'  kivered  dem  wid  leaves,  an'  I  tuk  an' 
blazed  trees,  an'  looked  how  de  logs  lay  about,  so 
I  could  be  shore  to  fin'   de  place.     An'    late    dis 


196  SAM    WILLIAMS; 

ebenin',  when  our  soldiers  passed  by  I  was  hid  by 
my  young  massas,  an'  hit  was  so  late  I  thought 
de  Yankees  wouldn't  come  dat  fur.  Dere  picket 
line  is  on  dat  hill  [pointing  in  the  direction], 
an'  our  picket  is  on  dis  hill  (pointing  again),  an' 
young  massas  is  down  dis  hollow  between  de  lines. 
An'  by  goin'  down  dis  branch  we  can  git  dar 
widout  comin'  to  either  line." 

Before  George  had  finished  speaking,  I  saw  that 
John  had  fastened  his  shoes,  secured  his  blanket, 
and  seemed  to  be  impatient  to  go.  But  Dolph  re- 
plied: "  How  can  we  bury  them  without  a  spade 
or  anything  to  dig  with.  Then  there  is  every 
chance  of  being  shot  by  either  army,  or  captured 
by  the  enemy  and  killed  as  spies." 

"Massa,"  said  George,  *' I  foun'  a  spade  dis 
mornin'  an'  hit's  dar  whar  I  can  git  it." 

It  needed  no  words  to  convince  me  that  John 
was  going.  I  determined  to  share  the  danger  with 
him.  Wishing  to  relieve  the  embarrassment  of 
Dolph,  I  remarked  to  him  that  it  would  hardly  be 
right  to  leave  Dick  without  a  nurse,  and  suggested 
that  he  remain.  That  was  a  soothing  potion  to 
Dolph' s  sick  spirit.  Dick  said  he  could  take  care 
of  himself,  but  Dolph  developed  at  once  a  com- 
mendable alacrity  in  administering  to  a  fallen 
brother. 

George  was,  of  course,  mistaken  about  reaching 
our  camp  without  passing  a  picket  line;  he  had 
simply  gotten  through  in  the  dark  without  attracting 
attention.     John    said  he  himself  had  placed  the 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         I97 

guard  and  knew  that  in  the  direction  we  were  to 
go  the  sentinel  was  a  good  friend  of  his  from 
Plum  Creek.  Whether  it  was  strict  fidelity,  the 
reader  must  determine;  but  this  sentinel,  after 
earnest  remonstrance  as  to  the  danger,  let  us  pass. 
The  picket  line  came  in  a  curve,  and  crossed  a 
little  run  at  that  place,  and  from  here  on,  as 
George  had  reported,  the  picket  Hnes  were  on  ei- 
ther hand  just  on  the  brow  of  the  hills,  with  this 
deep  valley  and  little  stream  between.  George  led 
the  way.  We  three  kept  in  close  touch  of  each 
other  and  moved  noiselessly,  so  as  not  to  awaken 
suspicion.  We  could  in  the  stillness  hear  the  soft 
tread  of  the  sentinels  of  the  two  great  armies. 
The  thick  darkness  in  this  deep  valley  was  a 
covering  to  make  us  glad. 

The  magnitude  of  our  undertaking  grew  upon 
me  as  we  advanced.  How  we  were  to  dig  a 
grave  in  the  hearing  of  these  lines  without  being 
discovered  was  a  problem.  We  came  to  a  fallen 
tree.  George  placed  his  hands  on  it  and  closely 
scanned  the  surroundings.  Finding  that  another 
fallen  trunk  lay  in  a  certain  relative  position  to 
the  first  one,  he  got  over  between  these  logs  and 
felt  his  way  along  till  the  bodies  were  found. 

Right  between  those  fallen  trees,  the  grave  was 
carefully  marked  off  by  moving  the  leaves  and 
trash  from  the  surface  of  the  ground.  John's  fore- 
thought was  now  apparent.  He  had  brought  a 
small  tin  bucket,  from  which,  to  prevent  noise,  he 
had  broken  the    bails  before   leaving    the    camp. 


198  SAM    WILLIAMS  : 

This  served  a  good  purpose  in  moving  the  soft, 
humus  soil.  Fortunately,  we  encountered  only- 
small  roots,  and  a  good  pocketknife  served  to  cut 
them  away. 

What  with  spade  and  bucket  and  hands,  the 
work  of  moving  the  dirt  went  on  rapidly.  In  an 
hour  the  grave  was  sufficiently  deep.  The  bodies, 
each  wrapped  in  a  soldier's  blanket,  were  laid  side 
by  side,  and  the  grave  was  carefully  filled.  The  re- 
maining part  of  the  task,  that  of  getting  back  in- 
side of  our  picket  line,  was  soon  accomplished. 
We  found  our  picket  still  on  duty,  and  he  warmly 
congratulated  us  on  the  success  of  our  mission. 

Both  armies  appeared  to  have  had  fighting  enough 
for  the  present.  We  marched  back  to  Corinth  in 
good  order.  Here  our  decimated  ranks  were  to 
some  extent  recruited,  and  a  partial  reorganization 
took  place.  John  was  assigned  to  duty  in  another 
regiment.  I  regretted  very  much  the  separation 
from  him. 

When  we  broke  up  from  Corinth,  John's  regi- 
ment was  ordered  east,  where,  at  Murfreesboro, 
at  Chickamauga,  at  Chattanooga,  and  at  many  oth- 
er places  of  less  note,  he  won  distinction  and  rose 
to  the  rank  of  major. 

George  was  a  hero  in  our  regiment  after  the  af- 
fair at  Shiloh  became  known.  He  voluntarily  re- 
mained with  us  most  of  that  year.  The  question 
of  cooking  dwindled  to  nothing  in  the  presence 
of  the  more  important  one  of  getting  something  to 
cook.     Having  done  his  duty  well,  George  retired 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  I99 

from  the  army,  and  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  a  hero 
in  the  shades  of  private  hfe.  His  devotion  to  what 
he  considered  duty  was  remarkable.  Not  even 
the  superstitious  dread  of  haunts  and  ghosts,  char- 
acteristic of  his  race,  could  shake  his  fidelity. 

The  wound  which  Dick  Webb  received  at  Shi- 
loh  proved  to  be  more  permanent  in  its  effects  than 
was  at  first  supposed.  It  disqualified  him  for  in- 
fantry service.  He  went  home,  raised  a  cavalry 
company,  and  became  its  captain.  In  that  capacity 
he  served  with  credit  through  the  war. 

One  great  battle  effectually  cured  Dolph's  pro- 
pensity for  hard  fighting.  Col.  Parker  had  suffi- 
cient influence  to  have  him  placed  on  a  general's 
staff,  with  the  nominal  commission  of  lieutenant. 
In  that  position — a  kind  of  life  insurance  policy — 
he  stuck  the  war  gloriously  through  to  the  bitter 
end.  With  these  removals  the  "  College  Brigade  " 
was  lost  to  histor}^. 

Our  regiment  went  south,  in  front  of  Gen.  Grant's 
forces,  as  he  was  trying  to  push  along  the  line  of 
railroad  to  Vicksburg.  Having  gone  about  sev- 
enty-five miles  below  Holly  Springs,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  suppHes  at  that  place,  by  Confederate 
cavalry,  caused  Gen.  Grant  to  change  the  plan  of 
attack.  The  Mississippi  River  was  chosen  as  the 
most  feasible  way  of  reaching  Vicksburg.  As  we 
could  not  have  the  honor  of  marching  ahead  of 
him,  as  a  sort  of  vanguard,  all  the  way  down  to 
Vicksburg,  we  hastened  down  to  give  him  the 
warmest  reception  we  could  on  his  arrival.     We 


200  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

were  there  in  good  time,  and  paid  our  regards  to 
him  when  he  crossed  the  river  below  the  city  and 
landed  on  our  side. 

We  gave  a  small  entertainment  at  Port  Gibson, 
and  something  more  at  Raymond.  When  the 
general  insisted  on  visiting  our  capital,  we  insist- 
ed on  going  with  him.  But  we  had  no  disposition 
to  violate  any  of  the  proprieties,  and  strictly  ob- 
served "  regulation  distance."  When  he  and  Gen. 
Pemberton  were  greeting  each  other  with  such 
warmth  at  Champion  Hills  and  Big  Black,  we  were 
playing  court  a  little  in  the  rear;  and  when  the 
general  invested  Vicksburg,  we  on  the  outside  in- 
vested him  I 

This  is  the  strain  in  which  the  soldiers  who  had 
seen  service  at  Shiloh  were  wont  to  speak  of  our 
experience  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  But  the  fall 
of  that  devoted  city  is  too  serious  a  matter  for  jest. 
That  historic  town  was  the  scene  of  devotion  and 
daring  excelled  in  no  part  of  the  world.  When 
the  surrender  was  made,  I  felt  a  deep  conviction 
that  the  war  was  practically  over  in  the  West;  and 
that  the  Confederacy,  born  of  so  much  enthusiasm 
and  defended  with  so  much  devotion,  was  doomed. 

The  proclamation  of  Mr.  Lincoln  freeing  the 
slaves  left  no  doubt  as  to  the  intention  of  the  vic- 
tors. Sitting  on  the  ground  at  the  root  of  a  tree, 
by  our  camp,  I  faced  the  conditions,  hard  and  in- 
flexible as  they  were.  To  hold  on  grimly  to  the 
end,  and  then  meet  the  new  problems  of  life  brave- 
ly, was  all  that  could  be  done.     The  remainder  of 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         20I 

this  year  ( 1863  )  was  employed  in  marching,  watch- 
ing, and  fighting,  to  prevent  as  far  as  possible,  the 
devastation  of  our  native  state. 

Military  operations  with  us  had  degenerated  into 
a  kind  of  guerrilla  warfare.  We  were  no  longer 
able  to  attack  the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  no 
longer  able  to  prevent  the  movements  of  large 
forces.  But  we  could  prevent  the  country  from 
being  despoiled  by  small  bands  of  armed  men. 
In  this  way  we  kept  the  Union  forces  in  closer 
quarters,  and  thus  saved  to  our  people  much  that 
would  have  gone  to  support  the  army  of  invasion. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
The  Cave  of  Futurity. 

ONE  bright  morning  in  the  spring  of  1864,  the 
scouts  brought  in  the  news  that  the  enemy's 
foraging  party  were  devastating  the  country  to  our 
left.  As  this  was  the  section  from  which  most  of 
our  own  supphes  came,  it  was  important  to  stop 
the  depredations.  A  cavalry  command  was  sent 
to  surround  and  route  them.  To  our  company 
was  assigned  the  difficult  task  of  getting  between 
the  raiders  and  the  main  force,  and  thus  intercept 
them  on  the  retreat,  and,  if  possible,  capture  the 
wagons. 

We  marched  rapidly  for  some  time.  The  road 
led  toward  my  home.  Home,  sweet  home,  now 
not  more  than  thirty  miles  distant,  and  yet  so  far 
beyond  my  reach.  How  my  heart  went  out  to- 
ward the  loved  ones  there !  How  I  longed  to  see 
them  all !  My  solicitude  was  all  the  greater  be- 
cause word  had  from  time  to  time  reached  me  that 
my  parents  were  in  feeble  health,  my  father  es- 
pecially; he  was  now  no  longer  able  to  leave  his 
room.  And  they  were  at  any  time  subject  to  in- 
sult and  spoliation,  as  the  whole  country  was  now 
overrun  by  hostile  troops.  This  sent  a  pang  of 
sorrow,  indignation,  and  humiliation  to  my  very 
heart. 

(202) 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  2O3 

I  had  managed  to  keep  up  an  irregular  corre- 
spondence with  Susie.  Her  letters,  through  all  the 
years  of  war,  years  of  hardships  and  dangers, 
hunger  and  thirst,  cold  and  heat,  had  bound  me  to 
hope.  How  vivid  was  her  image  before  me  as  we 
marched  in  silence  that  morning.  Her  constant 
sympathy  and  words  of  encouragement  had  more 
than  ever  bound  to  her  my  very  soul.  I  thought 
if  I  could  but  secure  an  honorable  peace,  with 
Susie  left  as  my  own,  I  could  ask  no  higher  boon. 
The  more  I  realized  the  sad  decadence  of  worldly 
prospects,  the  more  this  one  treasure  of  my  hope 
filled  the  entire  circle  of  my  desires. 

But  my  thoughts  were  soon  demanded  by  pres- 
ent emergencies.  The  scouts  sent  out  had  failed 
to  report.  I  saw  that  our  captain  was  getting  un- 
easy. Nothing  could  be  heard  of  the  cavalry 
which  was  expected  to  overtake  the  raiders  in  a 
few  hours.  We  marched  on,  expecting  every  anx- 
ious moment  to  hear  from  our  reconnoitering  party. 
Their  failure  to  keep  us  posted  was  certainly  om- 
inous. The  whole  company  shared  the  uneasiness 
now  too  plainly  visible  in  our  officers.  Our  march 
became  slower,  and  we  became  silent  and  vigilant. 

All  at  once  we  were  startled  by  a  rush  of  troops 
from  the  brush  to  our  right.  We  saw  at  a  glance 
that  we  had  been  surprised  by  a  superior  force. 
But  we  had  been  through  too  many  hard  places  to 
become  panic-stricken.  The  command  to  surren- 
der came  clear  and  distinct  on  the  mornincr  air. 
The  case  seemed  so  hopeless  for  us  that  our  gen- 


204  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

erous  foe  did  not  fire,  no  doubt  thinking  it  unnec- 
essary. 

Capt.  Benson  never  exhibited  cooler  bravery. 
His  words  of  command  were  spoken  too  low  to  be 
heard  by  the  enemy,  but  in  such  earnest  tones  as 
to  be  instantly  obeyed.  The  road  at  this  place 
was  on  a  ridge.  To  form  in  line  and  retreat  back- 
ward down  the  declivity  into  the  thick  woods  was 
the  work  of  a  moment.  We  at  once  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  position.  We  were  under  shelter  of 
trees  and  brush,  and  the  elevation  on  which  the 
road  was  located  was  nature's  own  breastwork. 
Charging  over  this,  the  foe  was  exposed  to  our 
fire. 

Though  we  were  outnumbered  three  to  one,  we 
were  making  such  use  of  our  advantages  that  we 
might  have  held  our  position  had  we  not  been 
charged  upon  by  a  cavalry  force  equal  in  numbers 
to  that  we  were  holding  at  bay.  Retreat  was  out 
of  the  question.  Surrender  was  all  that  was  left 
us.  I  plainly  heard  the  order  to  "  stack  arms!  " 
and  heard  the  stacking.  Then  there  was  momen- 
tary darkness.  When  I  came  to  myself,  I  saw  as  I 
lay  on  the  ground  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  which 
had  been  burned  out  till  it  was  a  mere  shell.  Into 
this  I  crawled  out  of  sight.  Lying  there  concealed, 
I  heard  the  command  given  for  my  company  to 
march  off.  Then  I  was  lost  in  slumber  or  uncon- 
sciousness. When  I  roused  up,  it  was  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  I  was  all  alone.  The  mounds  of 
fresh  earth    showed    too  plainly  the  work  of  the 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  20$ 

mornincr.  How  many  of  my  comrades  had  been 
killed  and  how  many  captured,  I  knew  not.  I 
was  conscious  of  having  received  a  terrible  blow 
on  the  head;  but  as  I  was  not  very  bloody,  I  con- 
cluded that  my  wound  had  been  made  by  the  butt 
of  a  gun,  and  not  by  a  bullet. 

When  I  had  collected  my  thoughts  the  best  I 
could,  I  tried  to  fix  in  my  mind,  by  the  aid  of  the 
setting  sun,  the  cardinal  points,  so  that  I  could  get 
the  direction  home.  To  get  home  was  now  the 
all-absorbing  thought.  I  concluded  that  it  was  best 
to  follow  for  many  miles  yet  the  plain  road  that  we 
had  come.  Wounded,  weak,  and  dizzy,  I  pulled 
myself  up  for  the  important  task  of  reaching  home. 
It  was  nearly  night;  but  this  was  fortunate,  as  my 
chances  for  escaping  the  enemy  were  thereby  in- 
creased. 

For  some  time  I  saw  no  sign  of  dwellings. 
When  I  did  come  to  houses,  they  seemed  to  be  de- 
serted. The  people  had  either  hidden  out  or  were 
afraid  to  have  hghts  burning.  A  fight  in  the 
neighborhood  makes  the  people  very  cautious. 
As  I  toiled  on  I  began  to  have  terrible  thirst  and 
to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger.  Finally  about  lo 
o'clock  at  night  I  reached  a  house  where  I  heard 
voices.  The  people  were  very  slow  to  heed  my 
calls,  but  I  finally  got  a  hearing.  When  I  ex- 
plained that  I  was  a  soldier  in  the  Southern  army, 
and  that  I  had  escaped  from  the  fearful  fight  and 
capture  of  the  morning,  I  was  received  with  hearty 
welcome. 


2o6  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

Water  to  drink  and  water  to  bathe  in;  what  a 
luxury!  I  found  an  old  man  in  charge  of  the 
home.  He  and  his  wife  and  two  daughters  would 
under  other  circumstances  have  completed  the 
household;  but  now  a  widowed  daughter,  whose 
husband  had  been  killed  in  battle,  was,  with  her 
several  children,  living  there  for  such  protection  as 
she  could  find.  Then  there  were  two  daughters-in- 
law,  whose  husbands  were  in  the  army.  They  and 
their  children  swelled  the  responsibilities  of  the 
aged  couple.  They  had  a  sad  tale  of  woe,  but  1 
was  too  tired,  sick,  and  foot-sore  to  listen  long. 
They  had  evidently  been  well  off,  but  now  the 
great  plantation  was  a  wreck. 

There  was  but  little  to  eat  on  the  place,  but  they 
freely  gave  the  best  they  had.  For  the  first  time 
in  many  months  I  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  bed.  It 
was  broad  daylight  when  I  awoke.  The  old  gen- 
tlemen gave  me  directions  as  to  the  way  home,  and 
the  probable  whereabouts  of  the  enemy.  So  I 
had  but  little  apprehension  of  being  captured.  I 
walked  on  slowly  till  about  noon,  when  I  called  at 
a  house  and  got  dinner.  Here,  as  elsewhere  all 
along  the  way,  I  saw  dilapidation,  devastation,  and 
ruin.  All  the  able-bodied  men  were  in  the  army. 
Only  the  old  and  infirm,  the  women  and  children, 
and  such  slaves  as  chose  to  remain,  were  to  be 
found.  The  plantations  had  shrunk  to  patches; 
the  fences  having  been  drawn  in,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  fields  abandoned  to  weeds. 

But  I  was  glad  to  see  fewer  evidences  of  devas- 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        207 

tatlon  as  I  reached  nearer  home.  There  were  no 
indications  of  the  enemy  in  this  section  at  present. 
And  as  I  had  time,  for  it  was  now  not  more  than 
twelve  miles  home,  I  rested  an  hour  before  starting 
on  the  way.  I  knew  all  the  country  and  most  of 
the  people  on  the  way  home,  so  I  could  afford  to 
take  my  time. 

But  as  the  afternoon  wore  away  I  became  tired, 
gloomy,  and  apprehensive.  I  became  strangely 
nervous.  Everything  appeared  distorted  and  pain- 
fully dislocated.  I  could  see  only  the  dark  side, 
and  everything  was  fearfully  distinct  and  aug- 
mented on  that  side.  I  was  now  approaching 
home  under  very  peculiar  circumstances.  I  had 
no  papers,  no  visible  excuse  for  my  absence. 
Wasn't  I  liable  to  be  arrested  and  carried  back? 
Suppose  I  should  meet  with  an  officer  who  should 
refuse  to  believe  my  version  of  the  capture  ?  Then, 
was  the  capture  of  my  company  a  valid  excuse  for 
my  coming  home  ?  Was  it  not  my  duty  to  report 
to  my  command  the  fate  of  my  company?  Sup- 
pose I  should  be  accused  of  desertion  and  tried  for 
that  cowardly  offense  ?  The  very  thought  seemed 
to  freeze  my  blood. 

Strange  all  these  things  had  not  occurred  to  me 
before.  Now  every  question  seemed  to  be  pointed 
with  a  dagger !  Could  I  face  Susie  under  these 
circumstances?  Then,  am  I  really  sure  that  my 
company  was  captured  ?  I  was  evidently  in  poor 
condition  to  know  what  was  going  on.  Stunned 
as  I  was,  how  do  I  know  but  the  capture  was  the 


2o8  SAM   WILLIAMS; 

mistake  of  a  disordered  brain?  What  if  I  should 
be  accused  of  desertion,  and  my  story  of  the  cap- 
ture should  prove  false  ? 

My  head  grew  dizzy  and  my  heart  grew  faint. 
I  reeled  to  a  log  beside  the  road,  where  I  sat 
down.  Resting  my  throbbing  head  in  my  hands, 
I  groaned  aloud.  Surely  I  could  not  go  home.  I 
was  not  more  than  two  miles  away,  and  was  likely 
to  be  recognized  by  any  one  passing.  What  was 
I  to  do?  Plainly  it  appeared  to  me  that  I  had  no 
proper  showing  to  explain  my  absence  from  the 
army.  To  go  back  now  in  my  feeble  condition 
was  almost  out  of  the  question.  Without  any  defi- 
nite purpose,  I  took  a  dim  path  which  led  me  from 
the  main  road.  I  was  just  then  hardly  capable  of 
any  definite  purpose. 

I  needed  time  for  reflection ;  and  yet  reflection 
was  goading  me  to  despair.  The  whole  prospect 
was  gloomy.  The  country  was  overrun  and  deso- 
late. We  seemed  to  be  fighting  in  a  vain  cause, 
only  to  meet  inevitable  defeat  at  last.  Already  our 
levies  had  drawn  out  the  entire  manhood  of  the 
country  from  eighteen  to  sixty.  We  have  no  other 
recruits,  and  still  we  retreat  and  give  up  the  coun- 
try to  devastation. 

Then,  to  crown  all  other  misfortunes,  I  am  here 
liable  to  arrest  for  desertion.  Disgrace  may  be 
added  to  defeat,  and  the  loss  of  character  go  with 
the  loss  of  all  besides.  How  I  wished  that  there 
was  some  way  to  surround  the  present  difficulties ! 
If  I  could  only  go  around  one  year  and  come  back 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        2O9 

into  the  path  of  life !  That  would  be  like  sur- 
rounding an  impassable  mountain.  I  remember  the 
distinct  wish  came  into  my  mind  that  I  could  discov- 
er here  in  these  woods  a  cave  of  futurity  that  would 
in  some  mysterious  way  lead  out  into  future  time. 

That  wish  seemed  to  be  the  forerunner  of  the 
reality,  for  just  before  me  was  a  bluff  with  a 
cave  opening  into  its  side.  I  stopped  to  consider. 
I  looked  far  into  the  cave,  and  all  the  way  the  bot- 
tom was  smooth  and  covered  with  beautiful  moss. 
The  sides  of  the  cavern  were  regular  and  came  to- 
gether overhead,  leaving  a  space  of  about  eight 
feet  from  floor  to  apex.  The  moss  growing  around 
the  mouth  of  the  cave  had  such  a  peculiar  appear- 
ance that  it  attracted  my  especial  attention.  To 
my  surprise,  I  could  trace  in  large  letters  of  living 
moss  the  words  forming  an  arch  over  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern:   "  The  Cave  of  Futurity." 

What  did  it  mean?  Surely  there  was  no  such 
cave  here  when  T  used  to  ramble  over  these  woods. 
This  was  the  hill  country  to  the  north  of  our  home 
where  I  used  to  hunt  rabbits.  I  was  familiar  with 
it  all.  But  here  is  the  cave.  How  can  I  have  such 
a  dreamlike  experience  in  daylight,  when  I  am 
conscious  of  being  wide  awake.  I  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  go  in  and  explore.  Afraid  to  go  home 
or  to  be  seen  by  any  one,  and  too  weak  to  return 
to  the  army,  there  was  little  inducement  just  then 
to  stay  out.  I  saw  from  a  glance  at  the  sun  that  it 
was  nearly  night.  Here  was  a  chance,  too,  for 
undisturbed  rest. 
14 


2IO  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

So  I  went  in.  The  floor  of  the  cave  all  the  way 
as  I  went  was  covered  with  soft,  beautiful  moss. 
I  was  astonished  to  find  the  passage  light  enough 
to  walk  without  difficulty.  The  cave  was  level  and 
straight  all  the  way.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  must 
have  walked  a  mile,  when  it  began  to  grow  dark. 
It  was  night.  Just  to  one  side  I  saw  a  mossy 
mound  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  couch.  I 
was  safe  here  for  the  present.  There  was  no  evi- 
dence that  any  one  was  in  the  habit  of  penetrating 
this  seclusion.  So  being  tired  and  sleepy  I  laid 
down  on  the  soft  bed  of  nature's  own  making  and 
felt  so  calm  and  pleasant,  the  tension  of  my  nerves 
completely  relaxed,  and  I  was  soon  in  deep,  rest- 
ful slumber. 

It  was  broad  day  when  I  awoke.  The  cavern 
looked  even  more  light  and  airy  than  on  the  pre- 
vious evening.  I  could  see  more  than  a  hundred 
yards  either  way.  The  cave  seemed  to  be  a 
straight  tunnel  as  uniform  in  size  as  if  made  by 
human  skill.  A  desire  to  still  further  explore  this 
strange  passage  led  me  to  go  on.  As  it  was  not 
more  than  a  mile  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern, 
I  could  easily  return  after  making  further  search. 
So  I  walked  on  very  briskly  for  some  time. 

I  was  thoroughly  rested.  The  mental  gloom  of 
the  evening  before  was  all  gone.  I  felt  again  the 
elasticity  and  hope  of  youth.  When  I  walked  far 
enough  to  count  about  one  mile,  I  saw  an  opening 
before  me.  The  light  grew  brighter,  and  it  was 
soon  apparent  that  I  was  reaching  the  end  of  the 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        211 

tunnel.  I  walked  out  into  the  bright  morning  sun- 
light. The  sun  was  about  two  hours  high,  and  the 
day  was  beautiful.  That  such  a  tunnel  as  this,  at 
least  two  miles  long,  should  exist  here  in  the  very 
neighborhood  of  my  home,  and  never  heard  of, 
was  marvelous.  It  came  out  of  the  side  of  a  hill. 
At  this  end  it  looked  Hke  an  ordinary  cavern,  with 
nothing  to  attract  special  attention. 

The  tunnel  had  led  me  under  a  range  of  hills  in 
such  a  direction  that  I  thought  I  must  be  about  the 
same  distance  from  home  I  was  the  evening  before. 
These  were  the  same  hills  over  which  I  had  ridden 
with  John  Henderson  years  before  down  to  Plum 
Creek  Church  as  recorded  in  this  faithful  history. 
I  was  confident  of  my  whereabouts,  and  knew  there 
was  a  road  on  this  side  the  hills  leading  up  to  my 
home.  It  was  now  my  purpose  to  find  that  road 
and  go  home,  see  my  aged  parents,  and  greet  my 
lovely  Susie,  and  then  report  to  the  command.  I 
had  done  no  wrong,  why  should  I  be  afraid?  So 
finding  a  little  path  leading  in  the  right  direction, 
I  set  out  through  the  brush  to  find  the  road. 

But  what  a  surprise  when  I  reached  the  road,  to 
find  it  skirted  by  an  elegant  iron  fence.  How  came 
such  an  improvement  in  war  times?  A  beautiful 
gate  let  me  out,  only  to  find  still  greater  surprises. 
For  instead  of  the  old  dirt  road,  here  was  a  paved 
highway  smooth  and  level  as  a  floor.  Still  greater 
was  the  astonishment  to  see  a  country  beyond  the 
road  dotted  with  splendid  country  residences,  great 
barns,   neat  schoolhouses,  elegant  churches,  and 


212  SAM  Williams: 

busy  windmills,  all  well  constructed  and  elegantly 
painted.  As  far  as  I  could  see  there  lay  before  me 
such  a  country  as  I  had  never  seen  before.  What 
I  had  read  in  books  of  travel  about  the  most  highly 
cultivated  parts  of  Europe  was  the  only  thing  of 
which  I  had  ever  heard  approaching  this  scene  in 
the  splendor  of  its  elegance. 

I  knew  this  country  was  covered  only  a  year  or 
two  ago  either  with  forests  or  cotton  farms.  Mr. 
Benson's  farm  lay  right  along  this  range  of  hills. 
The  morning  I  set  out  with  mother  and  mam- 
my on  our  trip  to  Louisiana,  we  went  right  along 
this  road,  with  the  plantation  on  one  side  and  these 
hills  on  the  other.  But  now  here  are  green  mead- 
ows smooth  and  beautiful ;  luxuriant  pastures  with 
finest  herds  of  cattle  grazing  on  them.  Then 
what  elegantly  painted  houses !  How  artistic  the 
fences,  delicately  dreamlike  in  beauty,  dividing 
land  from  land ! 

But  when  I  had  time  to  collect  my  thoughts  a 
little,  I  noticed  that  all  the  fences  were  made  of 
iron.  The  posts  were  semicircular  half-tubes 
about  four  feet  high  and  set  alternately  in  the 
ground  and  in  transverse  bases  about  three  feet 
long.  The  fences  presented  little  surface  to  the 
wind,  and  stood  firmly. 

I  thought  this  must  surely  be  a  land  of  enchant- 
ment, where  wonder  succeeds  wonder.  I  could 
not  believe  such  improvements  possible  in  so  short 
a  time.  Yet  everything  looked  real.  Why  should 
I  doubt  my  senses  more  here  than  I  had  been  ac- 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  213 

customed  to  doubt  them  all  through  life?  As  I 
stood  lost  in  wonder  and  wrapped  in  thought,  my 
attention  was  arrested  by  a  passing  carriage.  It 
was  fairylike  in  its  elegant  lightness.  I  was  sur- 
prised at  how  little  noise  it  made.  The  gentleman 
and  lady  were  large  and  fine-looking,  with  an  air 
of  distinction,  but  I  knew  them  not.  Hardly 
knowing  what  to  do,  I  started  toward  hom.e. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
The  Strange  Country. 

I  HAD  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  the  wood- 
land from  which  I  had  emerged  gave  way  to 
the  same  high  state  of  cultivation.  On  both  sides 
of  the  road  were  the  richest  pastures  and  rarest 
herds,  with  green  meadows,  elegant  houses,  fairy- 
like fences,  with  intervening  fields  for  crops. 
Everywhere  were  evidences  of  the  highest  type  of 
civilization.  Here  was  a  joint  reign  of  peace  and 
plenty.  Wealth  and  culture  had  united  in  the  pro- 
duction of  the  best. 

This  country  north  of  the  road  had  been  consid- 
ered too  hilly  for  successful  farming.  It  was  cov- 
ered with  heavy  forest  timber.  But  here  were  the 
same  hills  with  not  a  trace  of  timber  on  them. 
The  hills  were  tei raced,  and  green,  level  swards 
and  cultivated  areas,  one  above  the  other,  present- 
ed a  most  lovely  appearance.  I  was  amazed  at  the 
number  as  well  as  the  elesfance  of  the  residences. 
The  whole  country  was  full  of  people.  Again  and 
again  while  I  was  making  these  observations,  the 
elegant  carriages  of  different  patterns  and  various 
sizes  rolled  by,  each  maintaining  a  cultured  silence. 
But  every  human  face  was  strange.  The  people 
had  a  strange  if  not  a  foreign  appearance. 

I  had  never  before  seen  such  cattle  as  were  graz- 
(214) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        215 

ing  in  herds  far  and  near.  Each  herd  was  uni- 
form in  general  appearance.  They  were  of  dis- 
tinct breeds.  Some  were  black,  some  white,  some 
of  variegated  colors;  some  had  peculiar  horns; 
some  had  no  horns;  but  each  had  well-defined 
characteristics.     I  had   never  seen  thoroufrhbred 

o 

cattle,  but  I  knew  them  at  once. 

But  what  most  attracted  my  attention,  and 
which  made  the  strongest  impression  on  my  mind, 
was  the  fact  that  the  people  were  so  much  larger 
than  those  I  had  known.  I  was,  among  my  com- 
panions, of  more  than  ordinary  size;  but  here  I 
felt  diminutive.  Then  they  were  so  uniform,  both 
in  size  and  appearance.  As  I  afterward  learned, 
the  average  weight  of  the  men  was  about  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty.  And  few  varied  much  from  this 
standard.  There  were  no  giants  and  no  pigmies. 
I  concluded  that  the  people,  like  their  stock,  must 
be  thoroughbred.  The  ladies  especially  had  this 
appearance.  They  were  large  but  delicately 
rounded,  smooth-featured,  easy  and  graceful  in 
motion.  They  had  every  appearance  of  being 
highly  cultured,  independent  in  thought,  yet  wom- 
anly in  every  fiber  of  their  nature. 

Passing  a  piece  of  land  devoted  to  crops,  I  no- 
ticed a  highly  polished  machine,  of  compact  build, 
at  work  on  the  margin  of  the  field  near  the  road. 
At  the  distance  of  about  four  hundred  feet  down  in 
the  field  was  another  machine  of  the  same  kind.  I 
would  have  thought  that  they  were  steam  engines, 
but  they  were  making  very  little  noise  and  produc- 


2l6  SAJVI    WILLIAMS: 

ing  no  smoke.  They  were  used  for  plowing.  A 
wire  rope  band,  working  on  pulleys,  was  stretched 
across  the  field  from  one  engine  to  the  other. 
The  pulleys  were  four  feet  in  diameter  and  ran 
horizontally.  Thus  the  two  sections  of  the  band 
were  four  feet  apart  and  equal  distances  from  the 
ground. 

The  plows  were  attached  to  frames  and  arranged 
in  pairs — that  is,  with  points  in  opposite  directions 
so  as  to  plow  either  way.  There  were  plows 
enough  on  each  frame  to  plow  out  a  row  at  a  time. 
These  frames  were  pulled  by  the  opposite  stretches 
of  wire  rope,  and  so  arranged  that  the  plows 
reached  opposite  ends  of  the  rows  at  the  samic  time. 
Thus  two  rows  were  plowed  at  once,  the  plows 
moving  in  opposite  directions.  Trucks  at  each 
end  of  the  frames  served  to  regulate  the  depth  of 
the  plowing,  and  made  the  work  lighter. 

As  soon  as  the  plows  reached  the  engines  they 
were  lifted  entirely  out  of  the  ground  by  an  auto- 
matic attachment.  The  machines  then  moved  up 
just  eight  feet,  and  the  plows  came  down  in  exact 
position  to  work  two  other  rows.  The  work  went 
on  rapidly.  The  two  men  with  their  machines  could 
easily  plow  from  twenty  to  thirty  acres  per  day. 

I  asked  the  man  in  charge  what  the  machine 
was  called.  He  stared  at  me  with  such  an  expres- 
sion of  astonishment  that  I  felt  embarrassed.  But 
I  persisted  in  my  questions  until  I  succeeded  in 
making  him  understand.  His  reply  was  nearly  as 
puzzling  to  me  as  m}^  question  had  been  to  him. 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  21 7 

But  making  allowance  for  a  strange  dialect  and 
stranger  pronunciation,  I  made  out  to  interpret  his 
reply  thus:    "It's  a  mo,  of  course." 

Just  then  the  plow  had  reached  the  end  of  the 
row,  and  he  turned  to  his  work  as  if  he  was  more 
interested  in  his  "  mo  "  than  in  my  strange  speech 
and  grotesque  appearance.  As  soon,  however,  as 
the  plow  started  back,  he  turned  to  have  a  better 
look  at  the  uncouth  stranger.  This  encouraged 
me  to  ask  further  questions.  I  asked  if  he  knew 
an  old  gentleman  living  near  here  by  the  name  of 
Williams.  To  my  astonishment  he  said  there  was 
no  such  person  living  in  the  country.  He  thought 
there  were  some  young  men  of  that  name  in  the  city. 
I  asked  about  the  Brantletts.  He  knew  a  family  of 
that  name  living  in  the  city;   none  in  the  country. 

I  was  completely  stunned  and  dumbfounded. 
But  I  finally  asked  the  name  of  the  city,  and  how 
far  to  it.  The  name  was  "  Comos,"  and  it  was 
three  miles  off.  The  name  sounded  a  little  like 
that  of  our  depot,  and  the  distance  was  what  I  ex- 
pected. As  one  in  a  dream,  bewildered,  I  started 
toward  where  I  used  to  have  a  home. 

This  short  conversation,  while  it,  like  everything 
else,  seemed  to  indicate  my  removal  from  all  fa- 
miliar scenes  and  persons,  was  still  to  some  extent 
reassuring.  For  really  the  transformation  had 
been  so  great,  and  the  people  were  so  strange,  that 
I  was  afraid  I  might  find  them  speaking  a  language 
entirely  strange  to  me.  I  was  glad  to  find,  there- 
fore, in  my  venture  with  the  man  at  the  "  mo," 


2l8  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

that  I  could,  though  with  difficulty,  convey  and  re- 
ceive ideas.  I  had  caught  a  few  items  in  regard  to 
the  pronunciation  and  the  construction  of  simple 
sentences,  and  was  determined  to  make  the  most 
of  them. 

But  the  people  I  passed  seemed  to  be  unap- 
proachable. They  were  well-dressed,  fine-looking 
people,  not  to  be  annoyed  by  simple  or  unintelligi- 
ble questions.  It  is  embarrassing  to  stop  a  man 
who  seems  to  be  going  somewhere,  the  man  with 
an  object  in  view.  It  is  the  loitering  man  in  shab- 
by clothes,  with  nothing  to  do,  whose  position  in- 
vites questions.  How  I  longed  to  meet  a  "  common 
man  in  vile  raiment"  who  would  have  time  to  sit 
down  and  chat !  Or,  best  of  all,  if  I  could  only  meet 
a  plantation  negro.  Then  I  could  learn  all  about 
the  situation.  Not  a  thing  going  on  in  the  neigh- 
borhood but  I  could  know  it  all.  What  has  become 
of  the  slaves  ?  This  country  certainly  should  be  alive 
with  them,  yet  not  one  is  to  be  seen. 

But  everywhere  I  could  see  only  the  same  type 
of  man.  These  thoroughbred  people,  as  I  had 
come  to  think  of  them,  seemed  to  fill  the  whole 
land.  And  how  multitudinous  they  were!  Walk- 
ing on,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  strange 
building  by  the  road.  It  seemed  to  be  a  tower 
having  an  open  space  near  the  top  just  under  the 
roof.  Around  the  lower  part  of  this  open  space, 
covering  the  banisters,  was  a  web  of  white  cloth 
over  a  yard  wide  stretching  entirely  around  the 
building. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        219 

A  man  up  in  the  tower,  projecting  his  head  over 
the  canvas,  looked  down  at  me  with  a  kindly  ex- 
pression of  countenance.  A  narrow  flight  of 
spiral  iron  steps  around  the  outside  of  the  tower 
led  from  the  ground  to  the  space  above.  As  this 
offered  a  good  view  of  the  country,  and  as  I  knew 
that  1  was  near  home  and  yet  could  not  recognize 
a  single  feature  of  the  landscape,  much  less  any 
houses  or  other  familiar  evidences  of  my  where- 
abouts, I  determined  to  venture  up  this  stairway 
for  observation  and  inquiry.  When  I  reached  the 
landing  above,  about  sixty  feet  from  the  ground, 
the  man  kindly  swung  back  a  little  door,  which 
also  supported  its  portion  of  canvas,  and  invited 
me  to  enter. 

By  this  time  I  had  concluded  to  be  more  dis- 
creet, and  to  find  out  the  meaning  of  my  present 
situation.  So  I  said  to  the  stranger:  "  I  am  in  the 
strange  condition  of  not  knowing  where  I  am.  I 
find  myself  among  strangers  whose  language  I  can 
scarcely  understand.  Every  object  is  strange. 
And  all  this  just  where  it  appears  to  me  that  I  am 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  my  home,  where  every 
object  ought  to  be  familiar,  and  I  should  know 
every  man  I  meet."  I  told  him  my  name,  and 
asked  about  my  father  and  neighbors.  No  such 
people  lived  in  that  country.  Completely  dejected, 
what  could  even  a  soldier  do  but  give  way  to  grief? 
The  man  was  moved  with  sympathy.  He  ques- 
tioned me  closely  as  to  how  I  came  into  the  country. 

I   told   him   the  whole    truth,  as  it  was  surely 


220  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

mapped  on  my  memory.     The  reference    to  the 
war  and  to  the  battle  two  days  ago,  as  well  as  to 
the  story  of  the  cave  or  tunnel  under  the  hills  only 
a  mile  or  two  off,  were  to  him  such  marvelous  ab- 
surdities that  he  could  only  regard  me  as  out  of 
my  mind.     I  showed  him  my  wounded  head   as 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  my  story.     This  still  more 
confirmed    him    in    the  belief  that  my  mind  was 
wrong.     But  it  furnished  him,  as  he  thought,  with 
a  clew  as  to  how  I  came  in  the  country.     Scanning 
me  with  closest  scrutiny,  he  asked  me  if  I  had  not 
fallen  from  the  airship  which  had  passed  over  the 
country  yesterday.     This  furnished  me  with  equal- 
ly good  grounds  to  doubt  the  normal  condition  of 
his  wits.     But  I  had  experienced  so  many  surpris- 
es that  I  was  ready  to  accept  anything,  however 
wonderful.     I  simply  inquired  about  airships,  stat- 
ing that  I  had  never  seen  one  and  did  not  know 
that  such  things  exist.     This  proved  to  him  more 
clearly  that  I  was  the  victim  of  some  mental  de- 
fect.    I  had  the  appearance  of  being  worn    and 
tired,  and  the  kind-hearted  man  suggested  that  I 
might  need  food.     This  was  a  timely  hint,  and  I 
told  him  that  I  had  eaten  nothing  since  yesterday 
at  dinner.     He  said  that  he  and  his  chum  kept 
some    confections    and    fruits    to  while    away  the 
tedium  of  their  watch,  and  at  once,  going  to  a  large 
closet,  he  produced  a  bountiful  store.     Never  food 
came  in  better  time.     Having  satisfied  my  hunger, 
I  rose  up  to  make  observations.     The  first  thing  to 
be  seen  was  the  great  city,  now  in  full  view.     The 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        221 

city  was  regularly  laid  off,  the  broad  streets  cross- 
ing each  Other  at  right  angles.  The  streets  ran 
entirely  through  the  city  each  way,  being  about 
four  miles  long.  They  were  broad  and  beautiful, 
and  so  set  with  trees  that  the  city  looked  almost 
like  a  forest.  I  concluded  that  I  had  as  well  ac- 
cept the  situation,  for  understand  it  I  could  not. 
Such  changes  as  these  could  not  by  any  means 
have  taken  place  since  I  was  at  home.  I  was  in- 
volved in  mystery  beyond  all  my  powers  of  reason 
to  unravel. 

Having  looked  long  at  the  city,  I  began  to  make 
inquiries,  and  soon  learned  the  character  of  some 
of  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous  buildings.  I 
finally  asked  how  old  was  the  city.  My  compan- 
ion repHed:  "Well,  the  country  has  been  settled 
about  thirteen  hundred  years;  the  city,  I  suppose, 
was  founded  soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  coun- 
try. It  was  first  a  village,  then  a  town;  probably 
the  city  proper  is  not  more  than  seven  or  eight 
hundred  years  old."  I  was  more  than  ever  con- 
founded. Where  have  I  been  cast?  I  know  no 
country  this  side  of  the  ocean  could  claim  such  an- 
tiquity as  that,  and  here  are  all  the  marks  of  an  old 
settled  country. 

Having  surveyed  the  city  all  over,  I  turned 
to  take  observations  of  the  country.  The  beauty 
of  the  scenery  was  fascinating  beyond  description. 
From  our  elevated  position  we  could  see  five  or 
six  miles  in  every  direction.  The  country  was 
gently  undulating  in  every  direction  except  to  the 


222  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

north,  where  it  was  decidedly  rolling.  But  every- 
where was  the  same  high  state  of  cultivation.  The 
same  kind  of  elegant  improvements  in  all  direc- 
tions gave  an  artistic  beauty  to  the  whole  landscape. 
The  airy  fences,  in  particular,  stretching  over  the 
wavelike  unevenness  of  the  land;  now  going 
down  in  the  depressions ;  now  scaling  the  distant 
elevations;  now  running  along  the  valley;  now 
marking  the  center  of  the  ridge ;  other  strands  in- 
tersecting or  crossing,  like  border  traceries  in  an 
endless  garden;  now  stretching  in  pairs,  indicat- 
ing roads  or  lanes ;  now  in  single  strands,  dividing 
meadow  from  pasture  and  pasture  from  crops; 
now  inclosing  beautiful  yards,  now  bountiful  gar- 
dens and  lovely  orchards.  Surely  no  painter's 
brush  or  poet's  pen  ever  described  a  scene  so  fair. 
While  I  was  admiring  this  scenery,  a  train  of 
cars  came  in  view.  As  I  knew  there  was  no  road 
in  that  direction  when  I  left  home,  I  uttered  an  ex- 
clamation of  surprise.  "  Yes,"  replied  my  com- 
panion, "  the  train  on  the  Northwestern  is  coming 
in  also,"  and  suiting  the  motion  of  the  hand  to  the 
words,  waved  it  toward  the  northwest.  Sure 
enough  there  was  another  train.  "  The  trains," 
he  said,  "  make  the  same  time  to  the  cit}^,  as  does 
also  the  northbound  train  on  the  Omaha  and 
Pensacola,"  and  pointing  southeast,  said,  "you 
see  the  train  coming  now."  I  did  see  the  train 
coming  on  the  old  familiar  track  I  had  alwa3^s 
heard  called  by  another  name.  I  was  so  dazed 
that  surprise  had  almost  ceased  to  be  astonishing. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        223 

I  had  now  tarried  here  till  politeness  required  I 
should  move  on.  But  where  was  I  to  go?  From 
this  tower  I  had  surveyed  the  whole  country  where 
I  had  expected  to  find  my  home,  and  not  a  vestige  of 
the  home  is  left.  It  seemed  that  I  had  no  home 
and  no  friends,  nowhere  to  go  and  nothing  to 
do.  Adrift  on  the  tossing  waves  of  the  world 
without  an  anchor,  I  had  somehow  lost  my  iden- 
tity, and  with  it  all  my  connections. 

The  old  adage  that  we  should  hunt  for  a  thing 
where  it  was  lost  came  to  me,  and  I  resolved  to 
go  back  through  the  cave.  Thus  I  hoped  to  re- 
gain my  proper  position,  establish  my  identity,  and 
with  it  my  true  connection  with  the  world.  But 
common  politeness  required  me  to  be  affable  to 
the  gentleman  who  had  befriended  me.  So  I  in- 
quired his  name,  that  I  might  return  his  kindness 
should  opportunity  ever  occur.  I  also  asked  him 
what  was  the  use  of  the  tower  he  had  in  charge. 

"This  is  a  signal  station,"  was  the  reply.  But 
as  he  savvT  I  did  not  understand,  he  explained: 
"This  is  a  weather  signal  station.  We  have  all 
the  instruments  to  indicate  changes  of  the  weather: 
when  it  will  rain,  when  it  will  be  stormy,  or  when 
it  will  be  cold.  By  a  proper  display  of  bunting  of 
different  colors,  the  people  are  forewarned  of 
these  changes.  When  the  display  is  white  only, 
as  it  is  now,  this  indicates  dry  weather.  We  make 
observations  every  two  hours ;  and  if  a  change  is  in- 
dicated, we  make  the  proper  display  of  color.  By 
the  way,  it  is  now  time  to  make  an  observation." 


224  ^^^   WILLIAMS; 

Examining  his  instruments,  he  said  there  was  a 
call  now  for  a  strip  of  yellow  bunting.  Opening  the 
door  of  the  closet  again,  he  brought  out  a  strip  of 
yellow  cloth  about  twelve  inches  wide,  with  hooks 
on  one  edge.  This  he  proceeded  to  hook  on  around 
the  lower  part  of  the  white  canvas.  As  this  afforded 
me  something  to  do,  I  gladly  offered  to  help.  This 
was  cheerfully  accepted,  and  we  very  soon  exhib- 
ited to  the  farmers  twelve  inches  in  favor  of  rain. 

My  companion  explained  that  if  the  indications 
of  rain  increased  other  strips  of  yellow  would  be 
added ;  and  when  the  whole  space  is  covered  with 
yellow,  rain  is  expected  to  begin  at  any  moment. 
He  said  that  if  wind  is  indicated  this  is  made 
known  by  black  cloth.  Before  severe  storms  tha 
whole  space  is  covered  with  black.  Then  no  citi- 
zen should  venture  out.  These  stations,  he  ex- 
plained, are  places  at  such  distances  apart  that  all 
the  people  can  have  one  constantly  in  sight. 

Thanking  my  new  friend  for  his  information,  I 
was  taking  leave  when  he  detained  me  to  ask 
where  I  was  going  and  what  I  expected  to  do.  I 
told  him  frankly  that  I  was  so  bewildered  that  I 
had  no  well-defined  purpose ;  that  I  had  some 
hope  of  meeting  with  friends  by  going  back  a  few 
miles.  He  then  told  me  that  he  was  to  make  his  last 
observation  at  i8  o'clock,  and  would  then  walk  into 
the  city,  and  if  I  did  not  meet  my  friends  and 
would  be  back  by  that  time,  we  could  go  in  togeth- 
er, and  he  would  show  me  a  place  to  spend  the 
night.     I  thanked  him  very  heartily,  and  started 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  225 

back  to  find  the  cave,  which   I  hoped  would  lead 
me  back  to  the  world  of  my  acquaintances. 

I  walked  very  rapidly  like  a  man  who  had  busi- 
ness, and  was  going  to  give  it  attention.  The 
woods  soon  came  in  view,  and  I  took  courage.  I 
went  at  such  pace  that  I  was  in  a  short  time  at  the 
gate  where  I  had  come  out  but  a  few  hours  before. 
I  found  the  little  path  and  made  rapid  steps  toward 
the  cave's  mouth.  But  what  was  my  disappoint- 
ment on  reaching  the  hill  to  find  no  sign  of  a  cave 
there.  Again  and  again  I  went  back  to  the  gate 
to  take  a  new  start,  and  tried  over  and  over  to  find 
the  cave,  but  always  with  the  same  disappointing 
result. 

I  felt  like  one  fairly  caught  in  a  trap.  I  had 
taken  the  fatal  step  from  which  there  seemed  no 
retreat.  Shut  out  from  home  and  Susie !  The 
woods  were  searched  thoroughly,  and  found  to  be 
only  a  small  reservation  of  about  fifty  acres.  In 
the  evening  people  came  leisurely  in  at  the  gate 
seeking  recreation.  I  approached  a  young  man 
and  asked  him  if  he  knew  of  any  cave  in  these 
woods.  He  was  surprised  at  my  strange  speech; 
but  after  two  trials  I  made  him  understand  the 
question.  "O  no,"  he  said;  "there  is  no  cave 
in  this  reservation."  As  there  was  nothing  else 
to  do,  I  returned  to  the  signal  tower  and  went  with 
Mr.  Dorman  into  the  city. 
15 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

The  Strange  City. 

IT  was  dark  when  we  reached  the  city.  Mr. 
Dorman  conducted  me  to  a  small  boardingr 
house,  where  he  said  I  would  have  a  comfortable 
rest.  To  say  that  I  was  tired,  hungry,  exhausted, 
was  hardly  doing  justice  to  the  case.  I  had  taken 
but  one  light  repast  of  confections  and  fruits  since 
yesterday  at  noon.  Mind  and  body  were  alike 
worn  out.  A  delightful  supper  was  spread,  and  I 
did  full  justice  to  its  excellence.  I  retired  early 
and  had  a  good  rest. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over  next  morning  a 
difficulty  arose  on  account  of  the  Confederate 
money  I  offered  in  payment  of  my  bill.  I  told  the 
straight  truth  about  the  matter.  I  was  at  once  re- 
garded  as  insane.  Quite  a  number  of  persons 
were  present,  and  they  all  expressed  the  same 
opinion.  Mine  host  said  it  was  his  duty  to  report 
the  matter.  Mine  host  no  doubt  is  a  conscientious 
citizen  and  intends  to  perform  his  duty  to  the  state. 
As  soon  as  he  was  off  on  that  mission,  and  I 
thought  it  safe  to  do  so,  I  stepped  aside  and  made 
my  way  back  to  the  signal  station  to  take  counsel 
of  the  only  person  to  whom  I  could  appeal.  I  told 
Mr.  Dorman  the  trouble  I  was  in,  and  showed  him 
the  money  I  had  offered. 
(226) 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  227 

He  scanned  the  money  very  closely,  and  direct- 
ly exclaimed:  "  Why  this  bill  is  a  thousand  years 
old." 

I  showed  him  that  it  bore  the  date  of  1864. 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  is  what  I  see." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "  don't  you  see  the  money 
is  fresh  from  the  press?  " 

"  I  see,"  was  the  answer,  "  it  looks  new  enough 
to  have  been  printed  yesterday.  But  here  is  the 
date,"  and  his  finger  was  pointing  to  the  figures, 
1864. 

"  Certainly,"  said  I,  "  that  is  the  date,  the  date 
of  this  very  year,  and  the  money  came  direct  from 
the  Capitol  at  Richmond,  and  was  paid  to  me  not 
two  weeks  ago." 

The  look  he  gave  me  was  one  of  astonishment, 
mingled  with  compassion. 

Changing  the  subject  abruptly,  he  said  pleas- 
anly,  "  I  rode  out  on  my  cycle  this  morning,  and 
I  can  readily  go  into  the  city,  and  sell  the  bill  as  a 
curiosity.  Such  things  are  much  in  demand." 
Then  calling  down  to  a  friend  at  the  house  near 
by,  he  added:  "  I  will  get  Frank  Love  to  take  my 
next  observation,  and  I  will  have  ample  time  to 
look  after  your  matter.  If  you  so  desire,  I  can 
pay  your  bill  out  of  the  proceeds  of  sale." 

I  thanked  him  very  much. 

Stepping  to  one  side  he  remarked:  "  I  will  send 
the  elevator  after  Frank." 

He  touched  a  little  knob  and  the  platform  of  the 
elevator  descended  with  great  speed,  and  we  soon 


228  SAAI    WILLIAMS: 

heard  the  merry  voice  of  Frank;  *'A11  right, 
Tom;"  and  Frank  was  landed  in  our  midst. 

I  was  introduced  as  a  stranger  from  Spanish 
America.  Mr.  Dorman  gave  me  a  meaning  look 
as  he  rather  emphasized  the  words,  Spanish  Amer- 
ica. I  had  no  motive  to  deceive,  but  thought  it  best 
to  be  silent.  And  I  found  it  greatly  to  my  advan- 
tage to  be  regarded  as  a  stranger,  as  that  would 
account  for  my  strange  speech.  Frank  readily 
agreed  to  stay  and  take  observations,  and  Mr. 
Dorman  stepped  on  the  elevator  and  waved  us 
adieu  as  he  descended  out  of  sight. 

He  was  soon  speeding  along  the  smooth  road 
on  his  cycle  to  the  city.  I  was  surprised  to  see 
that  he  was  not  using  any  visible  means  to  drive 
the  machine.  His  feet  rested  in  stirrups,  and  he 
seemed  perfectly  at  ease.  I  asked  my  new  friend 
what  propelled  the  cycle. 

"It  is  magnetic  force,"  he  answered.  *' The 
weight  of  the  rider  brings  the  magnets  in  position ; 
and  his  position  in  the  saddle  regulates  the  force ; 
the  speed  being  increased  by  sitting  further  back." 

Indulging  the  hope  that  a  time  might  come  to 
examine  this  machine,  I  resolved  to  make  use  of 
the  present  opportunity  to  inquire  about  the  signal 
service,  from  whose  station  we  were  now  keeping 
watch.     Frank  was  at  once  full  of  the  subject. 

*'  The  object  of  the  service,"  he  began,  "  is  to 
warn  people  in  advance  of  the  kind  of  weather  we 
are  to  have.  As  everybody  knows  what  kind  of 
weather  to  expect  at  least  twenty-four  hours  in  ad- 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  229 

vance,  each  day's  work  may  be  intelligently 
planned.  The  service  has  a  very  good  idea  of  the 
weather  a  week  in  advance,  but  for  practical  pur- 
poses the  display  on  the  canvases  at  the  stations 
is  for  twenty-four  hours  ahead.  Any  one  wishing 
to  travel  or  to  plan  work  which  requires  several 
days  of  sunshine  may  consult  the  agents  at  the 
stations,  and  so  be  informed  of  the  weather  several 
days  in  advance.  Whenever  a  severe  storm  is 
arising,  or  a  disastrous  cold  wave  is  coming,  the 
fact  is  published  at  once,  with  the  date  at  which 
the  crisis  is  to  be  expected." 

I  expressed  surprise  that  the  changes  should  be 
known  so  far  in  advance. 

*'No  trouble  whatever,  he  replied,  "we  only 
have  to  hear  from  the  source  of  the  storm.  Then 
knowing  its  momentum,  and  the  track  it  is  on,  we 
readily  know  when  the  disturbance  will  reach  any 
section  of  the  country.  We  know  as  well  when  a 
cargo  of  flour  leaving  Winnipeg  will  arrive  here, 
as  if  it  started  only  at  the  next  station." 

As  he  said  this  he  pointed  along  the  track  of 
the  Northwestern,  indicating  the  way  the  cargo 
would  come. 

When  I  asked  him  how  news  could  be  had  from 
the  source  of  the  storm,  he  replied:  "  By  having 
a  man  at  headquarters.  Every  disturbance  must 
begin  somewhere,  and  by  having  men  everywhere, 
we  are  sure  to  have  one  at  the  right  place.  Re- 
ports of  storms  often  come  first  from  some  of  the 
outlying   West   Indies,    Barbadoes,    Grenada,  or 


230  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

Trinidad,  and  frequently  from  stations  further  out. 
From  equatorial  Africa  and  the  Indian  Ocean  come 
reports  of  disturbances  to  be  dreaded," 

'•  Why,"  I  asked,  "is  it  possible  the  govern- 
ment has  men  stationed  so  far  off?" 

"  O,"  was  the  reply,  "the  service  is  interna- 
tional. All  nations  are  alike  interested,  and  the 
expense  is  equitably  borne  by  all." 

I  did  not  like  to  appear  so  very  ignorant,  but  I 
reflected  that  it  was  better  to  show  my  ignorance 
here  to  this  youth  than  for  it  to  appear  to  all  whom 
I  may  meet.  To  reveal  ignorance  at  the  proper 
time  is  the  way  to  have  it  cured.  So  I  ventured 
to  ask  how  long  the  service  had  been  established. 

"  Hundreds  of  years,"  he  replied.  "  For  a  long 
time  each  nation  had  a  separate  service.  But  as 
this  was  manifestly  deficient,  the  present  plan,  em- 
bracing all  the  leading  nations,  was  at  last  brought 
to  its  present  high  state  of  efficiency.  Our  country 
claims  the  honor  of  leadership  both  in  discovery  and 
development.  Just  a  few  days  ago  the  very  learned 
Dr.  Simpson,  in  an  address  to  the  university  classes 
showed  that  the  great  Prof.  Maury,  who  lived  in 
this  country  about  a  thousand  years  ago,  was  the 
great  founder  of  the  system.  The  doctor  was 
truly  eloquent  on  this  subject.  It  is  a  specialty 
with  him,  as  he  has  written  several  books  to  show 
that  Prof.  Maury  is  justly  entitled  to  this  honor," 

Just  at  this  point  Mr.  Dorman  came  in.  He  had 
sold  my  ten  dollar  Confederate  note  for  eighty 
dollars,  and  said,  as  if  apology  was  necessary,  that 


A   TALE    OF   THE    OLD    SOUTH.  231 

if  he  had  not  been  pressed  for  time  he  could  have 
sold  it  for  more.  He  had  paid  for  the  night's  lodg- 
ing. He  seemed  to  be  cheerful,  but  there  was 
something  about  his  manner  that  was  not  reassur- 
ing.    I  was  afraid  all  was  not  right. 

Frank  took  leave  of  us,  and  then  my  friend  pro- 
ceeded to  tell  the  real  truth.  I  had  been  reported 
as  insane. 

"The  authorities,"  he  warned  me,  "  are  very- 
strict  in  these  matters.  Dr.  Simpson,  one  of  the 
curators  of  the  university,  is  the  leading  man  on  the 
Examining  Board.  I  had  a  talk  with  him,  and  as- 
sured him  that  you  were  not  insane ;  that  I  thought 
you  had  fallen  from  the  Spanish- American  ship,  and 
the  fall  had  affected  your  memory.  That  I  think 
is  the  case.  Now  I  want  to  give  you  some  advice. 
If  you  run  on  about  a  war  and  getting  wounded, 
and  having  money  paid  you  by  a  government, 
whose  very  existence  only  the  bookworms  have 
heard  of,  they  will  surely  think  you  insane,  and 
send  you  to  the  asylum." 

I  thanked  him  and  told  him  I  would  be  discreet. 
Just  then  a  light  wagon  drove  up  to  take  me  be- 
fore the  Board.  Before  sending  me  down  on  the 
elevator  he  gave  me  this  final  hint:  "  Dr.  Simpson 
is  regarded  by  many  as  a  crank  in  regard  to  memory. 
He  contends  that  the  ideas  fixed  in  memory  are 
stamped  successively  on  different  parts  of  the  brain ; 
that,  however  small  that  portion  of  the  brain  de- 
voted to  memory,  each  new  idea  is  stamped  on  a 
new  portion,  and  that  under  some  conditions,  each 


232  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

day  of  life,  just  as  we  lived  it,  may  be  unfolded  to  us. 
According  to  his  theory  memory  has  nothing  to  do 
with  sanity.  All  the  memories  of  the  past  maybe 
blotted  or  blurred,  and  yet  the  man  be  sane.  The 
store  of  memory  being  put  up  in  sections,  the  de- 
struction of  any  or  all  the  sections  may  take  place 
without  affecting  the  reasoning  faculties.  Your 
case  has  reminded  me  of  the  Doctor's  theory." 

Thanking  my  friend  most  heartily,  I  resolved  to 
profit  by  this  hint.  I  was  soon  ushered  into  the 
august  presence  of  the  Board.  Dr.  Simpson  was 
occupying  a  central  position.  He  spoke  to  me 
kindly  enough,  and  bade  me  give  an  account  of 
myself.  That  was  about  the  hardest  thing  he 
could  have  asked  me  to  do.  but  I  rose  respect- 
fully and  said:  "  Gentlemen,  I  confess  to  a  great 
degree  of  embarrassment.  I  remember  everything 
that  has  happened  to  me  since  yesterday  morning. 
At  that  time  I  found  myself  on  the  road  about 
three  miles  west  of  the  city.  If  I  talk  of  what  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  the  memory  of  things  prior  to 
that  time,  it  is  said  I  talk  at  random,  and  like  one 
insane.  Gentlemen,  my  memory  may  be  at  fault, 
but  my  reason  is  not."  I  saw  that  I  was  making 
a  good  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  great  Dr. 
Simpson.     This  gave  me  courage. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  I  continued,  ''we  are  all 
liable  to  accidents.  I  am  conscious  of  a  wound  on 
the  head.  That  may  disqualify  me  for  testifying 
as  to  some  parts  of  my  life.  One  thing  is  sure; 
I  have  been  educated,  I  have  had  tutors,  I  can 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  233 

read  and  understand,  can  consider  facts  and  draw 
conclusions  as  well  as  I  ever  could." 

Dr.  Simpson  here  handed  me  a  small  volume 
and  desired  me  to  read.  I  saw  at  once  it  was  En- 
glish, but  how  changed !  It  was  the  strange  lan- 
guage of  the  strange  people  among  whom  I  had  so 
strangely  fallen. 

*' This,"  I  said  to  him,  "is  the  English  lan- 
guage ;  but  not  that  in  which  I  was  educated.  It 
is  strange  to  me."  Then  taking  from  my  pocket 
a  small  testament  which  mother  had  given  me, 
and  which  I  had  carried  through  the  war,  I 
said;  "  Here  is  the  English  in  which  I  was  educat- 
ed." I  began  to  read.  They  were  all  intent  to 
hear,  but  only  a  few  seemed  to  understand. 

Dr.  Simpson  took  the  book,  and  looked  at  the 
date.  "  Why,"  said  he,  "  this  book  is  more  than 
a  thousand  years  old.  Is  it  possible,"  he  inquired, 
*'  that  you  read  books  of  that  date?" 

I  assured  him  I  could  read  any  English  book 
printed  about  that  time.  He  wished  me  to  name 
some  classic  books  I  could  read.  I  came  near  halt- 
ing at  the  word  classic,  but  after  a  slight  hesitancy 
named  Milton,  Shakespeare,  Gibbon,  and  others. 
He  said  the  ancient  versions  with  the  old  charac- 
ters were  used  in  the  university;  and  after  a  little 
consultation  with  the  members  of  the  Board  a  mes- 
senger was  sent  to  bring  copies  of  Shakespeare 
and  Milton.  As  the  messenger  was  starting  some 
member  suggested  that  Prof.  Young  be  invited 
over,  and  all  the  rest  bowed  assent. 


234  S^^    WILLIAMS: 

The  messenger  soon  returned,  accompanied  by 
Prof.  Young,  who  handled  the  precious  volumes 
with  great  care.  Milton  was  handed  to  me,  and 
for  once  I  astonished  a  highly  cultivated  audience 
by  my  profound  learning.  Milton  had  been  used 
in  our  academy  for  analyzing.  Of  course  I  was 
at  home  in  this  ancient  classic. 

Prof.  Young  was  electrified.  Various  passages 
which  he  thought  the  most  difficult  in  both  the  au- 
thors brought  were  pointed  out  for  me  to  read  and 
explain.  When  they  saw  that  I  could  read  any 
and  all  passages  with  the  same  ease,  they  were 
completely  captured. 

After  keeping  me  reading  and  expounding  for  a 
long  time,  they  finally  dropped  back  to  a  further 
consideration  of  my  case.  They  were  much  puz- 
zled because  I  could  give  no  satisfactory  account 
of  myself.  I  thought  this  was  the  time  when  si- 
lence was  golden,  and  said  nothing.  Prof.  Young 
was  sure  I  was  a  graduate  of  the  great  Cowan 
University,  the  only  institution  which  educated  up 
to  the  standard  which  I  had  attained.  But  how 
came  him  on  the  Spanish- American  ship?  It 
seemed  settled  that  1  had  fallen  from  that  aerial 
vessel.  That  is  easily  account  for,  suggested  one 
of  the  Board.  "An  eminent  scholar  might  be  trav- 
eling to  further  improve  his  mind."  This  was  very 
satisfactory. 

Prof.  Young  wanted  to  know  with  what  classic 
books  I  was  acquainted.  I  ran  over  a  long  list  of 
English  and  American  authors.     Then,  recalling 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  235 

the  conversation  with  Frank  in  the  morning,  I  said  : 
"  There  is  a  very  learned  work  issued  much  later 
than  any  of  the  books  I  have  mentioned — one 
whose  influence  has  been  very  great  in  aiding  the 
world's  advancement.  It  has  made  navigation 
safe  and  agriculture  more  sure.  Of  course,  gen- 
tlemen," I  assumed  an  air  of  great  learning,  "I 
can  refer  to  no  other  than  Prof.  Maury's  Geogra- 
phy of  the  Seas.'*  Dr.  Simpson  almost  jumped 
from  his  chair.  He  then  eagerly  questioned  me 
about  the  methods  adopted  by  Maury,  to  learn  the 
facts  underlying  the  signal  service.  I  gave  an  ac- 
count of  Maury's  influence  in  securing  an  inter- 
national conference  to  consider  these  matters,  and 
how  Maury  induced  all  the  leading  nations  to  have 
exact  reports  from  all  their  ship  masters  in  their 
voyages  as  to  directions  of  winds  and  ocean  cur- 
rents; how  bottles  were  thrown  over  from  time  to 
time  containing  reports  of  currents  at  the  place  of 
overthrow,  the  date  and  place;  how  these  were 
picked  up,  sometimes  thousands  of  miles  away, 
showing  the  tracks  of  the  great  sea  currents ;  how 
Maury  demonstrated  the  existence,  the  breadth, 
and  velocity  of  the  Gulf  Stream ;  and  how,  in  con- 
sequence of  all  these  labors,  the  signal  service  had 
become  possible.  During  all  this  time  the  Doctor's 
eyes  fairly  glowed  with  pleasure.  I  had  met  him, 
and  he  was  mine. 

The  verdict  of  the  learned  Board  was  peculiar: 
"In  the  case  of  Mr.  Samuel  Williams  we  find  he 
is  suffering  from  a  concussion  of  the  brain,  sup- 


236  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

posed  to  have  resulted  from  a  fall  from  a  Spanish- 
American  aerial  ship,  in  consequence  of  which 
certain  sections  of  the  memory  have  been  impaired, 
or  temporarily  suspended.  In  all  other  respects 
the  mind  is  exceptionally  clear.  In  classic  Eng- 
lish he  is  most  proficient — in  fact,  speaks  the  lan- 
guage with  the  ease  and  fluency  that  one  speaks 
his  native  tongue .  From  all  the  evidence  we  can 
gather  he  is  a  graduate  of  the  great  Cowan  Uni- 
versity. We  think  his  services  would  be  invalua- 
ble as  lecturer  in  the  department  of  classic  English 
in  the  university.  We  earnestly  commend  him  to 
the  favorable  consideration  of  the  Curators." 

I  felt  like  one  on  rising  ground.  Several  mem- 
bers of  this  Examining  Board  were  also  Curators  of 
the  university.  My  prospects  were  therefore  good. 
As  I  now  had  some  money  and  quite  a  roll  of  bills 
yet  to  be  disposed  of  and  some  prospects  in  the 
world,  I  thought  it  best  to  lay  aside  my  worn  mili- 
tary uniform  and  dress  in  a  style  becoming  a  citi- 
zen of  some  expectations.  This  was  soon  carried 
into  effect.  I  could  now  pass  about  without  at- 
tracting attention. 

Dr.  Simpson  and  Prof.  Young  soon  hunted  me 
up.  They  were  accompanied  by  a  venerable  man 
I  had  noticed  during  my  examination,  but  who  had 
rem.ained  silent.  He  was  now  introduced  as  Dr. 
Wise.  I  was  told  that  Dr.  Wise  was  President  of 
the  Board  of  Curators  of  the  university.  They 
wished  to  known  if  I  could  serve  that  institution  as 
lecturer  in  classic  Enghsh.     Dr.  Wise  said  he  was 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  237 

greatly  pleased  with  my  examination,  and  was  now 
better  pleased  with  my  appearance  since  I  had  put 
off  the  strange  apparel.  Dr.  Simpson  said  he 
hoped  I  would  consent  at  once.  The  university 
could  not  afford  to  miss  such  services.  Prof. 
Young  said  my  services  would  be  a  blessing  alike 
to  professors  and  students.  I  thanked  them  for 
their  good  opinion,  and  indicated  my  willingness 
to  serve  the  university  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 
My  work  was  to  begin  with  the  next  quarter,  about 
two  weeks  off.  I  was  glad  of  that  little  time  for 
preparation. 

Dr.  Wise  here  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
nothing  had  been  said  about  the  salary,  and  rather 
emphasized  what  he  called  the  stranger  part  of  the 
fact  that  I  had  made  no  inquiry  about  a  matter  of 
so  much  importance.  I  replied  that  I  supposed 
they  had  a  uniform  custom,  and  what  was  satis- 
factory to  the  other  professors  would  be  so  to  me. 
He  said  they  did  have  a  uniform  compensation, 
and  that  my  salary  would  be  three  thousand  dollars 
per  annum. 

After  my  learned  friends  had  recommended  me 
to  a  suitable  boarding  house,  one  becoming  the 
dignity  of  a  professor,  they  left  me  to  my  reflec- 
tions. I  had  reflections.  Arrested  for  lunacy  and 
promoted  to  a  professorship  in  the  same  day!  I 
now  thought  it  time  to  study  the  situation  in  earnest. 
In  my  room  I  saw  a  calendar.  This  was  what  I 
wanted.  Astounding!  Here  is  the  date  2864.  I 
turned  to  a  small  library  and  took  down  volume 


238  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

after  volume.  All  of  them,  by  their  dates,  verified 
the  fact  that  in  some  way  I  had  leaped  over  a  thou- 
sand years. 

Now  that  I  had  time  to  think,  the  absurdity  and 
certainty  of  my  situation  came  to  me  with  almost 
crushing  force.  I  beat  myself  about  trying  to 
throw  off  the  delusion.  I  thought  of  a  dream,  a 
trance,  of  mental  aberration ;  but  do  or  think  as  I 
would,  the  certainty  and  absurdity  were  still  there, 
seemingly  fixed  and  permanent.  The  continuity 
of  thought  and  experience  had  been  complete.  I 
had  realized  no  transition  in  time.  The  money  I 
had  was  new,  it  having  been  issued  but  a  few 
weeks.  My  Testament  was  just  as  I  had  carried 
it  during  the  war.  My  clothes  were  those  of  the 
Confederate  soldier.  Now  they  are  all  regarded 
as  antique  curiosities.     I  was  myself  a  curiosity. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

Strange  Customs. 

THE  eloquence  of  silence  is  often  more  effective 
than  the  eloquence  of  words.  It  had  been  so 
for  me,  and  I  resolved  to  court  her  good  office 
still.  I  would  say  nothing  of  my  history,  but  study 
my  present  environments.  With  this  view  I  im- 
mediately ordered  the  city  papers.  Then  I  quieted 
down  for  a  little  restful,  sober  thought.  The  loss 
of  Susie,  the  loss  of  parents,  the  loss  of  all  connec- 
tions by  a  sudden  transition  of  a  thousand  years 
was  something  to  demand  thought. 

On  the  shaded  walk  in  front  of  my  boarding 
house  I  was  looking  on  the  strange  scenes  of  the 
strange  city,  when,  just  at  the  close  of  the  day,  Mr. 
Dorman  came  speeding  by  on  his  cycle.  I  hailed 
him  and  he  rounded  up  to  where  I  sat.  He  hardly 
knew  me  in  my  new  clothes,  but  congratulated  me 
on  my  improved  appearance.  He  at  once  inquired 
how  I  came  out  before  the  Board.  I  gave  a  full 
account  of  the  day's  work.  He  was  surprised  at 
my  good  fortune,  but  seemed  to  be  as  much  elated 
at  my  success  as  if  I  had  been  an  old  acquaintance, 
or  even  a  relative.  I  felt  that  I  had  at  least  one 
friend  in  this  strange  world.  He  said  it  was  time 
to  drop  formalities.  I  was  to  be  Sam,  he  Tom, 
and  we  were  to  be  chums.  To  this  I  most  heartily 
agreed,  as  I  needed  just  such  a  friend. 

(229) 


240  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

"Now,  Tom,"  said  I,  "tell  me  how  this  is:  I 
see  according  to  the  calendar  and  all  other  indica- 
tions that  this  is  the  year  2864.  But  according  to 
my  convictions  and  all  my  experience  and  knowl- 
edge it  ought  to  be  1864.  I  seem  to  be  a  thousand 
years  ahead  of  my  age." 

"Your  fall,"  he  replied,  "has  knocked  out  a 
thousand  years  of  the  world's  history  for  you. 
Well,"  he  continued,  laughing,  "that  was  quite  a 
backset.  It  is  fortunate  for  you  that  it  is  only  an 
imaginary  one ;  for  if  you  had  to  live  back  in  those 
barbarous  times  of  a  thousand  years  ago,  so  full  of 
wars  and  outrages,  you  would  likely  have  a  hard 
time  of  it." 

After  much  pleasant  conversation  I  finally  in- 
quired where  the  university  buildings  were  located. 

"The  school  buildings,"  he  replied,  "  are  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  city  for  the  convenience  of  the 
students." 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "the  preparatory  schools,  but 
where  is  the  university?" 

"Why,  of  course,"  he  answered,  "the  same 
buildings  are  for  all  the  schools." 

Past  experience  had  taught  me  caution.  So  I 
asked  my  friend  to  regard  me  as  a  novice  and  ex- 
plain the  school  system  for  my  benefit.  The  the- 
ory of  sectional  memory  came  to  the  rescue,  and  he 
explained:  "The  school  buildings  are  neat,  com- 
fortable, convenient.  They  are  located  in  every 
part  of  the  city  in  the  ratio  of  about  one  to  every 
thousand  of  the  people.    Each  building  has  four  de- 


A   TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  24I 

partments  or  rooms,  one  for  each  school.  There 
are  four  schools:  the  primary,  the  academic,  the 
collegiate,  and  the  university.  Five  hours  are  de- 
voted to  recitations  and  lectures,  with  an  intermis- 
sion of  twelve  minutes  between  each  hour,  thus 
making  the  school  day  five  hours  and  forty-eight 
minutes  long.  This  intermission  of  twelve  minutes 
is  for  the  professors  to  go  from  one  building  to 
another  to  meet  the  classes.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
the  students  to  leave  their  rooms.  The  different 
professors  come  to  them  in  turn  through  the  entire 
school  day.  Thus  you  see  the  student  goes  through 
all  the  schools  within  the  same  building,  and  that 
near  his  home.  The  only  change  is  from  room  to 
room  as  he  advances." 

"  Is  the  short  space  of  twelve  minutes  sufficient 
for  the  professors  to  make  the  necessary  changes  ? ' ' 
I  inquired. 

"  Well,  sometimes  it  requires  a  little  undue  haste 
for  dignified  professors,"  he  answered  with  a 
smile,  at  the  same  time  scanning  my  undignified 
person.  "There  has  been  just  a  little  friction  at 
that  point.  The  old  professors  objected  to  long 
walks,  but  it  has  become  fashionable  for  all  the 
young  professors,  and  some  not  young,  to  ride 
cycles.  With  them  distance  is  desirable  as  a  means 
of  recreation.  With  this  improvement  everything 
works  smoothly." 

"All  the  students  do  not  keep  on  through  the 
university  course.     It  seems  to  me,"  so  I  suggest- 
ed, "  that  these  classes  would  be  small." 
16 


242  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

"  So  they  would,"  he  replied,  *'but  for  the  in- 
flux of  students  from  the  country.  The  primary 
school  extends  all  over  the  country  and  comes  in 
reach  of  every  child  of  educable  age.  The  acad- 
emic school  is  pushed  out  into  all  the  more  popu- 
lous neighborhoods.  Then  many  of  the  larger 
towns  have  a  collegiate  school,  and  are  called  col- 
legiate towns.  The  university  draws  from  the 
collegiate  schools  not  only  here  but  over  a  wide 
reach  of  country.  There  is  a  constant  aggrega- 
tion of  students  to  the  more  important  centers.  In 
this  way  the  higher  classes  are  kept  full." 

Seeing  that  I  was  deeply  interested,  he  contin- 
ued: "  Of  course  the  same  system  extends  through 
the  entire  nation.  The  university  school  is  located 
in  all  the  important  cities,  and  these  are  called 
university  cities.  These  university  cities  are  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  miles  apart." 

*'  It  seems  to  me,"  I  argued,  "  that  the  univer- 
sity thus  spread  out  all  over  the  nation  would  be 
wanting  in  es-prit  de  corps.  There  would  be  lack- 
ing the  close  competition  and  desire  to  excel  which 
would  stimulate  students  congregated  in  one  large 
building." 

"Not  at  all,"  he  replied,  "the  esfrit  de  corps 
extends  to  the  whole  community.  Public  opinion, 
family  standing,  a  potent,  all-pervading  caste  feel- 
ing, based  on  education,  bear  the  students  along 
to  great  efforts.  Then  the  hope  of  success  in  life 
is  added  to  these  influences.  While  it  is  true  that 
men  are  elected  to  civil  offices  by  the  suffrages  of 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  243 

citizens,  it  is  also  true  that  the  university-bred  man 
comes  before  the  people  with  vastly  better  chances 
than  the  merely  college-bred  man.  And  he  who 
falls  below  that  grade  has  scarcely  any  chance. 
Not  one  time  in  fifty  will  such  a  man  get  an  im- 
portant office.  Four  out  of  five  men  holding  im- 
portant offices  are  university-bred.  Then  when  it 
comes  to  government  patronage  the  chances  are 
still  more  in  favor  of  the  university-bred  men. 
Nine-tenths  of  the  government  employes  in  the 
civil  service  are  of  this  class.  True,  the  examina- 
tions are  open  to  all,  but  the  university  course  has 
been  largely  shaped  to  prepare  students  for  these 
various  government  services.  The  examinations 
are  based  on  the  supposition  that  the  applicants 
are  familiar  with  this  course.  This  makes  it  very 
difficult  for  those  who  have  not  gone  through  this 
highest  school  to  get  an  appointment.  This  is 
true  also  to  a  large  extent  in  regard  to  all  gov- 
ernment patronage,  both  state  and  national.  As 
none  can  go  through  the  university  except  those 
who  have  come  up  regularly  through  the  lower 
schools,  you  see  that  every  possible  inducement 
is  held  out  from  the  very  start  to  urge  students 
to  complete  all  the  courses.  The  machinery  of 
government,  the  influence  of  private  life,  the  hope 
of  ultimate  success,  the  all-powerful  factor  of  re- 
spectability— all  work  to  this  end.  The  pressure 
is  indeed  about  as  heavy  as  it  should  be,  and  when 
students  fail  it  is  generally  for  the  want  of  ability 
of  body  or  mind  to  accomplish  the  tasks." 


244  ^^^    WILLIAMS: 

I  was  warm  in  my  thanks  to  my  friend  for  the 
information  thus  given.  Assuring  me  of  his  will- 
ingness to  be  of  service  to  me  at  any  time,  he  bade 
me  good  night. 

The  papers  next  morning  informed  their  readers 
that  the  examination  of  Prof.  Williams,  of  the  great 
Cowan  University,  before  the  session  of  Curators 
for  position  as  lecturer  m  classic  English  had  been 
very  brilliant  and  deservedly  rewarded  with  suc- 
cess. The  university  and  citizens  generally  were 
congratulated  on  securing  the  services  of  a  scholar 
so  renowned.  The  papers  further  said  that  the 
learned  professor  not  only  had  the  stores  of  classic 
English  by  memory,  but  also  had  a  large  number 
of  bills  of  money  printed  about  a  thousand  years 
ago.  One  of  these  bills  had  been  purchased  by 
one  of  the  museums  at  great  price. 

Tom  called  by  next  morning  on  his  way  to  the 
station  to  let  me  know  that  my  fortune  was  now 
made.  The  notice  in  the  papers  of  my  old  money 
would  bring  any  number  of  buyers.  "  Now,  Sam, 
don't  be  afraid  to  put  a  price  on  your  goods."  He 
was  right.  For  some  time  my  mail  was  crowded 
with  applications  to  purchase  these  bills.  Fortu- 
nately, I  had  quite  a  roll  of  them.  I  remembered 
Tom's  advice,  and  placed  on  them  what  I  thought 
was  a  high  price ;  but  to  my  surprise  and  gratifica- 
tion they  sold  readily.  As  the  desire  for  money 
increased  with  its  possession,  the  price  of  my  Con- 
federate bills  went  higher  each  day.  Money 
flowed  in  till  its  volume  suggested  the  propriety  of 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         245 

a  bank  account,  so  I  went  round  to  the  First 
International  Bank  of  Comos  and  became  a  depos- 
itor. I  found  that  this  fact  soon  became  known  to 
the  business  men  of  Comos. 

One  very  noticeable  feature  of  school  life  in 
those  very  modern  times  was  the  absence  of  all 
large  schoolbooks.  The  books  were  all  small 
vest-pocket  editions,  three  by  six  inches,  and  about 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  thick,  so  that  a  half  dozen 
of  them  could  be  carried  in  a  pocket.  The  con- 
tents were  very  much  condensed  and  the  books 
were  printed  in  very  clear  type  on  very  superior 
paper.  The  more  extensive  studies  were  printed 
in  several  volumes.  When  I  remembered  the  great 
luggage  of  books  the  boys  and  girls  used  to  tire 
under,  I  was  prepared  to  appreciate  this  improve- 
ment of  those  advanced  times. 

By  reading  everything  in  the  papers,  especially 
the  advertisements,  and  by  constant  conversation 
with  all  classes  on  the  street,  I  had  a  very  good  use 
of  modern  English  by  the  time  I  entered  on  the 
duties  of  my  professorship.  The  language  had 
not  changed  as  much  as  I  would  have  expected  in 
a  thousand  years.  Nothing  like  the  change  in  the 
thousand  years  prior  to  the  old  time  in  which  I  used 
to  live.  There  was  a  very  noticeable  tendency  to 
throw  off  irregularities  both  in  spelling  and  con- 
struction. Many  old  words  are  dropped  out  and 
many  new  words  had  come  into  use.  Some  of 
these  new  words  were  very  expressive.  For  in- 
stance, I   asked  my  friend,    Tom    Dorman,    one 


246  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

morning,  about  the  propriety  of  lending  money  to 
Frank  Goodloe.  He  replied  with  an  ominous 
shake  of  the  head:  "  Frank  is  a  good  fellow,  but 
he  is  a  victim  of  to-morrowism."  That  I  thought 
expressed  it  exactly.  To-morrowism !  I  have 
known  many  people  thus  afflicted,  but  never  before 
heard  the  word  to  give  it  proper  expression. 
Whole  towns  and  entire  communities  are  down  and 
kept  down  by  this  same  trouble  of  to-morrowism. 

The  other  day  a  jockey,  praising  the  good  quali- 
ties of  his  horse,  said  he  was  sired  by  the  great 
Gomorrow  and  mothered  by  Fanny  Dean.  There, 
I  thought,  is  another  excellent  word.  Stockmen  in 
my  day  much  needed  that  word.  Matriced  was 
used  by  some  to  express  the  same  idea.  That  is 
also  a  good  word,  regularly  coined  from  matrix, 
and  expresses  the  thought.  But  to  my  mind  moth- 
ered is  the  word.  It  expresses  the  whole  idea  of 
rearing  a  young  animal  to  a  condition  to  take 
care  of  itself.  The  changes  in  the  language  were 
nearly  all  in  favor  of  brevity  and  perspicuity. 

Fewer  changes  were  found  in  church  service 
than  elsewhere.  The  hymns  and  ritual  reminded 
me  very  much  of  my  early  days.  Many  of  the  old 
familiar  hymns  were  still  in  use.  The  names  of 
the  Wesleys,  of  Isaac  Watts,  of  Doddridge,  Heber, 
Ken  and  other  immortal  hymn  writers  were  still 
familiar  to  the  lovers  of  sacred  psalmody.  Many 
of  the  forms  of  prayer  still  survived.  This  was  to 
be  expected.  Moral  obligation  continues  the  same 
through   all  generations.     Man's  relation  to  God 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  247 

remains  ever  the  same.  It  is  to  be  expected,  there- 
fore, that  forms  of  prayer  and  hymns  of  praise 
would  be  very  much  the  same  in  all  ages. 

An  innovation  in  one  particular  deserves  atten- 
tion. The  length  of  the  services  was  fixed  by  in- 
exorable custom.  Sixty-five  minutes  were  allowed 
for  the  entire  service :  ten  minutes  for  prayer,  fif- 
teen for  praise,  and  thirty  for  the  sermon,  with  an 
intermission  of  five  minutes  between  the  different 
parts.  The  intermission  of  five  minutes  was  to  al- 
low time  for  any  persons  to  leave  who  did  not  Vv'ish 
to  attend  the  next  part,  and  for  others  so  desiring 
to  come  in.  Sometimes,  but  not  frequently,  the 
whole  service  was  conducted  by  the  same  person. 
Generally  each  part  had  a  separate  leader.  Some 
of  the  worshipers  were  contented  with  the  service 
of  prayer  alone ;  others  attended  only  the  service 
of  song.  Still  others  crowded  all  their  worship 
into  listening  to  the  thirty  minutes'  sermon.  Some 
attended  prayers  at  one  church,  the  service  of  song 
at  another,  and  preaching  at  still  another — every 
one  according  to  his  own  inclination.  With  a  ripe 
spiritual  man  as  leader  the  service  of  prayer  was 
often  largely  attended — the  most  popular  service 
of  the  day.  Then  again  the  service  of  song,  ow- 
ing to  the  presence  of  fine  talent,  would  have  a 
crowded  house. 

It  was  painful  to  witness  the  deflections  of  the 
audience  down  to  one-half  to  hear  the  message  of 
the  preacher.  But  these  things  were  taken  as  a 
matter  of  course.    But  the  sermon  was  by  no  means 


248  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

at  a  discount,  although  the  preacher  failed  to  at- 
tract, owing  to  greater  attraction  elsewhere.  If 
the  preaching  was  neglected  in  one  church  it  made 
the  profoundest  impression  of  the  day  at  others. 
It  was  generally  understood  that  people  were  en- 
tirely free  to  go  where  they  received  the  greatest 
spiritual  blessing.  Some  preachers  benefited  a 
few,  others  the  many.  This  innovation,  as  I  call 
it,  though  it  was  an  old  custom  of  long  standing, 
may  not  have  contributed  to  deeper  piety,  but  I 
think  it  secured  more  general  attendance  on  public 
worship.  Housekeepers,  cooks,  and  nurses  could 
find  time  to  drop  in  ten,  fifteen,  or  thirty  minutes. 
Then  there  are  nervous  souls  who  dislike  to  en- 
gage to  be  still  for  an  hour  or  more,  especially 
when  the  more  is  indefinite.  But  all  this  reluctance 
is  removed  by  the  intervals  of  rest,  giving  them  a 
chance  to  retreat.  Such  persons  will  often  stay 
well  satisfied  through  all  the  services,  because  the 
gaps  were  down  for  them  to  retire  if  they  wished. 
They  can  remain  two  or  three  hours  at  a  political 
meeting  and  think  the  time  short,  just  because  they 
are  at  liberty  to  leave  at  any  time.  A  great  many 
people  are  like  live  stock:  they  dislike  to  go  in 
where  the  gaps  are  to  be  put  up  behind  them. 

The  habit  of  changing  from  one  church  to 
another  in  the  brief  intermission  of  five  minutes 
could  not  have  been  indulged  in  but  for  the  exact 
uniformity  in  time.  This  leads  me  to  explain  that 
time  in  every  city  was  run  from  one  center.  The 
plant  was  conveniently  located  anywhere  within 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        249 

the  city  limits,  but  usually  where  its  tower  could 
be  seen  by  most  people.  This  great  central  clock 
was  regulated  so  as  to  keep  exact  time.  It  was 
connected  by  electrical  currents  with  all  the  dials 
throughout  the  city.  These  dials  were  run  by  mag- 
netic force,  and  the  electro  magnets  were  brought 
into  action  by  the  electric  currents  from  the  cen- 
tral clock.  But  the  machinery  was  so  arranged 
that  the  current  was  broken  unless  the  dial  was  in 
accord  with  the  great  clock.  If  from  any  cause 
the  connection  was  broken,  the  dial  stood  still  till 
one  entire  revolution  of  twenty-four  hours  was 
made,  when  the  connection  was  reestablished  and 
the  dial  again  gave  correct  time.  Thus  it  was 
simply  impossible  to  have  any  variation  in  time. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Strange  Improvements. 

AS  the  warm  weather  came  on,  people  began  to 
talk  about  refrigerants.  The  boarders  inti- 
mated to  the  host  that  refrigerants  would  be  in  or- 
der. Tom  came  in  on  his  cycle,  and  applying  his 
handkerchief  to  his  forehead,  remarked  laconical- 
ly: "Time  for  refrigerants."  All  at  once  news- 
papers were  displaying  advertisements  of  refriger- 
ants. Each  advertiser  had  the  best  materials  and 
appliances.  All  this  naturally  raised  an  inquiry, 
and  setting  myself  to  investigate,  I  found  the  re- 
frigerant to  be  a  method  of  cooling  and  ventilating 
the  rooms. 

A  small  room  made  for  the  purpose  was  a  part 
of  every  house.  The  air  in  this  little  room  was  re- 
frigerated mostly  by  chemicals.  A  noiseless  fan, 
run  by  magnetic  force,  sent  the  cold  air  into  all  the 
apartments  as  it  was  wanted.  Fresh  air  was  sup- 
plied to  the  refrigerant  by  pipes  from  above  the 
house.  The  cold  air  from  the  refrigerant  was  sent 
into  the  apartments  near  the  floors.  It  escaped 
near  the  ceiling.  Thus  the  rooms  were  cooled  and 
ventilated  by  the  purest  air  that  could  be  obtained. 

In  winter  this  process  was  reversed.     The  air  in 

the  little  room  was  heated  mostly  by  chemicals. 

The  hot  air  entered  the  rooms  near  the  ceiling  and 

found  egress  near  the  floor.     The  appliance  was 

(250) 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  25 1 

then  called  a  heater.  In  consequence  of  this  way 
of  heating  and  cooling  the  rooms,  the  doors  of 
dwellings  were  kept  closed  winter  and  summer. 
This  gave  a  recluse  appearance  to  the  city. 
There  was,  in  fact,  but  little  stirring  about  in  very 
warm  weather  except  early  in  the  morning  and 
late  in  the  afternoon. 

As  I  began  my  labors  in  the  university  late  in 
the  season,  the  two  months  before  vacation  soon 
passed.  I  now  had  more  time  to  look  about.  I 
frequently  visited  Tom  at  the  signal  station,  and 
went  several  times  out  to  the  reservation  where  I 
first  saw  the  light  of  this  nev/  world ;  but  I  could 
never  find  a  trace  of  the  cave,  though  I  never 
failed  to  look  carefully  over  the  ground  where  I 
thought  it  ought  to  be. 

The  whole  country  looked  more  than  ever  like  a 
well-cultivated  garden.  Beautiful  and  richly  de- 
veloped flowers  abounded  in  great  profusion  about 
every  dwelling.  The  mos  were  busy  keeping  the 
land  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  I  now  saw  the 
great  use  for  the  many  windmills  which  were  con- 
spicuous on  every  landscape.  They  supplied  the 
water,  drawing  it  from  deep  wells  or  cisterns,  not 
only  for  stock,  but  for  irrigation.  The  water  was 
stored  in  reservoirs  located  on  convenient  eleva- 
tions, so  that  it  could  run  on  all  parts  of  the  land 
where  needed. 

When  the  signal  service  indicated  drought,  the 
farmers  promptly  applied  irrigation,  that  there 
might  be   no  check  in  the  growth  of  the   crops. 


252  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

This  kept  grass  for  stock  and  assured  food  for 
man.  Any  one  seeing  the  vast  multitudes  to  be 
fed  could  readily  appreciate  the  importance  of  this 
provision. 

Where  so  much  depends  on  the  crops  it  is  cer- 
tainly well  to  have  the  means  of  making  them  sure. 
Agriculture,  no  longer  depending  solely  on  the 
precarious  rains,  becomes  a  safe  industry,  with 
definite  income.  Tom  said  the  weather  had  be- 
come far  more  accommodating  than  it  used  to  be. 
*'  But,"  he  added  after  a  pause,  "  it  will  not  do  to 
trust  entirely  yet." 

I  asked  him  why  the  weather  is  more  trust- 
worthy than  formerly. 

"It  is,"  he  answered,  "owing  to  the  great 
amount  of  iron  used,  in  the  atmosphere,  in  the 
form  of  fences,  railroads,  and  communicating 
wires,  thus  equalizing  the  circulation  of  electric- 
ity, giving  a  more  general  distribution  of  moist- 
ure and  rain.  The  showers  become  more  re- 
liable for  crops.  The  electricity  in  the  air  has 
easy  access  to  the  earth  by  means  of  the  iron 
posts  used  everywhere  for  fencing,  thus  taking 
away  some  of  the  causes  of  storms.  Tornadoes, 
and  other  destructive  winds,  and  hailstorms  are 
less  frequent.  Away  back  in  the  earlier  ages  these 
fearful  agencies  were  terrific  in  the  destruction  of 
life  and  property. "  I  had  a  very  vivid  recollection 
of  those  terrific  storms  in  the  barbaric  times  of  old. 
But  I  had  learned  that  discretion  often  lurks  in  the 
silences. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.  '      253 

This  conversation  about  taming  the  weather,  and 
the  fact  that  the  weather  was  that  day  presenting 
to  us  an  atmosphere  of  unusual  clearness,  sug- 
gested to  me  an  inquiry  of  my  friend  about  aerial 
navigation,  of  which  I  had  heard  much  and  seen 
nothing. 

"  We  are  not  on  any  regular  line  of  air  ships," 
he  began,  "  and  this  accounts  for  your  not  seeing 
one." 

''Regular  line?"  I  replied;  "I  thought  air 
ships  could  go  anywhere." 

"  So  they  could,  but  they  do  not,"  was  his  sen- 
tentious way  of  putting  it.  The  ships  are  apt  to 
follow  some  bold  landmarks,  which  can  be  easily 
kept  in  sight.  This  is  decidedly  more  necessary 
at  night.  Ships  going  from  south  to  north,  or  the 
contrary,  keep  in  sight  of  the  Atlantic  coast  or  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  or  the  Mississippi  River. 
Further  west  the  Rocky  Mountains  become  the 
guide.  These  ships  are  used  mostly  for  excur- 
sions of  pleasure  seekers.  Such  parties  in  this 
country  generally  follow  meridians  rather  than  lat- 
itudes.    This  leaves  us  off  the  line  of  travel." 

"  Why,"  said  I,  "it  was  always  my  opinion  that 
when  the  navigation  of  the  air  was  once  made  suc- 
cessful it  would  be  made  the  medium  of  general 
commerce;  that  traffic  and  travel  would  be  al- 
most exclusively  carried  on  that  way;  that  ships 
would  regularly  visit  every  city,  town,  and  village 
in  the  whole  country;  would  bring  the  market  to 
every  man's    door;  thus   practically  doing  away 


254  *  ^^^    WILLIAMS: 

with  the  interior,  by  bringing  every  place  to  the 
front  in  the  matter  of  transportation." 

"  That,"  returned  my  friend,  "  was  no  doubt  the 
dream  of  many,  but  it  has  not  been  reahzed.  Ex- 
perience has  shown  that  the  more  sohd  the  materi- 
al on  which  transportation  can  be  made,  the  better. 
And  for  this  reason  the  steel  rail  has  practically 
the  monopoly  in  the  movement  of  freight.  Steel 
is  better  than  water,  and  water  is  much  better  than 
air.  The  air  ship  does  well  enough  for  excursions, 
as  it  affords  excitement  for  pleasure  parties;  but 
when  it  comes  to  moving  heavy  articles,  the  steel 
rail  is  wanted." 

Just  at  this  juncture  Frank  Love  called  for  Torn 
to  send  down  the  elevator.  We  looked  over  the 
white  panels  and  saw  quite  a  number  of  young  peo- 
ple, each  with  some  kind  of  spyglass.  "They 
want  to  make  observations,"  said  Tom,  as  he 
started  the  elevator  down  for  them.  Soon  gentle- 
men and  ladies  were  landed,  and  I,  being  a  stran- 
ger to  most  of  them,  had  to  submit  to  the  formali- 
ty of  an  introduction.  However,  it  was  gratifying 
to  my  vanity  to  see  that  by  reputation  I  was  no 
stranger;  and  every  one  seemed  glad  of  the  chance 
for  a  formal  introduction.  While  we  were  ex- 
changing civilities,  Frank  reminded  Tom  that  the 
rest  of  the  party  were  waiting  for  the  elevator.  So 
the  elevator  was  sent,  and  on  its  return  with  the 
other  members  of  the  party,  a  like  introduction 
was  given. 

This  being  attended  to  in  due  form,  Frank  in- 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  255 

quired  of  Tom  if  he  had  seen  the  "  White  Eagle." 
♦' «  The  White  Eagle ! '  "  exclaimed  Tom,  ''  what 
do  you  mean?  " 

"Why,"  inquired  Frank,  "  did  you  not  notice 
an  account  in  the  papers  of  the  excursion  from 
Alabama  ?  A  corps  of  scientists  are  going  to  the 
Rockies  in  the  interest  of  knowledge  and  pleas- 
ure. Their  ship  is  called  the  'White  Eagle.' 
This  city  is  to  be  taken  in  the  route.  It  is  to  pass 
here  at  lo  o'clock." 

Strange  we  had  not  looked  at  a  paper.  Tom 
and  I  had  been  sitting  there  a  long  time  with  one 
between  us,  but  we  had  been  much  engaged  with 
each  other  and  had  not  thought  of  news.  Tom 
immediately  went  to  his  instruments  to  learn  the 
whereabouts  of  the  ship.  "  Sure  enough,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "she  is  coming;  just  now  passing  about 
three  miles  north  of  Haynesville,  on  the  North- 
eastern, sailing  about  two  hundred  yards  high, 
heading  for  Comos." 

"Close  to  the  earth,"  "comfortable  height," 
"don't  want  to  waste  gas,"  and  "freeze  with 
cold,"  "old  sailors  on  the  winds;"  these  were 
some  of  the  comments  by  different  ones  of  our 
party. 

"Now,  Frank,"  continued  Tom,  without  giving 
heed  to  any  of  these  remarks,  "cover  the  horizon 
about  ten  degrees  south  of  east,  and  I  think  she 
can  be  seen." 

Frank  at  once  brought  his  glass  to  bear  as  di- 
rected, and  after  scanning  the  horizon  for  awhile 


256  SAM    WILLIAMS  : 

said:  *'Yes;  she's  in  sight.  Nine  degrees  four 
minutes  south."  Glasses  were  adjusted  accord- 
ingly, and  one  after  another  gave  indication  of 
finding  the  ship.  Frank  politely  handed  his  glass 
to  me,  but  as  he  saw  I  did  not  know  how  to  adjust 
it,  said:  "Now,  Professor,  look  just  to  the  right 
of  that  most  distant  windmill." 

I  saw  the  object  indicated,  and  leveling  the  glass 
first  at  the  windmill,  and  then  moving  it  to  the  right, 
I  caught  sight  of  the  ship.  But  I  would  not  have 
known  it  but  for  its  motion.  "  Why,  it  looks  like 
it  was  half  buried  in  the  earth,"  I  exclaimed  with 
innocent  surprise. 

The  ladies  were  amused.  "Yes,"  said  Tom, 
* '  it  looks  like  a  huge  terrapin  working  itself  out  of 
its  hole."  "  Rather  like  the  dome  of  a  temple  ris- 
ing out  of  the  earth,"  suggested  an  elegant  lady  by 
my  side. 

As  we  looked,  it  rose  clear  of  the  earth,  like  the 
sun  rises  in  the  morning.  After  awhile,  some  of 
the  party  discovered  that  it  could  be  seen  without 
the  aid  of  the  glasses.  To  the  unaided  eye,  it  now 
looked  like  a  speck  on  the  distant  horizon.  It 
rose  higher  and  grew  larger.  These  were  the 
only  changes  for  some  time.  As  it  came  nearer, 
we  could  begin  to  see  that  its  shape  was  not  round, 
as  it  had  seemed.  The  front  did  not  come  to  an 
angle,  as  in  boats  designed  for  water,  but  had  rath- 
er the  symmetrical  finish  like  the  breast  of  a  swan. 

About  the  time  she  reached  the  city,  steering  a 
course  to  skirt  along  the  southern  suburbs,  all  at 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        257 

once  her  speed  slacked.  "  She  is  going  to  float," 
said  one.  "  They  want  to  observe  the  city,"  re- 
sponded another.  When  her  machinery  stopped, 
the  ship  made  a  graceful  descent,  till  she  was  not 
much  above  the  buildings.  The  wind  was  gently 
blowing  from  the  southwest,  and  the  ship  floated 
very  much  in  the  same  direction  she  had  been 
steering.  She  floated  out  toward  our  station,  and 
looked  like  she  might  pass  directly  over  us.  While 
drifting  in  the  breeze  she  had  headed  toward  the 
south,  thus  presenting  a  broad  side  toward  us,  and 
close  enough  for  us  to  observe  her  graceful  struc- 
ture, more  than  two  hundred  feet  long.  A  grand 
sight  to  look  upon  !  The  visions  and  prophesies  of 
ages  were  in  that  ship  !  What  a  privilege  it  was  to 
me  to  be  projected  beyond  my  age,  and  look  upon 
that  which  so  many  wise  men  had  hoped  to  see, 
but  died  without  the  sight ! 

Her  mos  began  to  work;  she  darted  forward 
and  glided  upward  like  a  bird  with  folded  wings. 
With  a  graceful  curve  she  bent  her  prow  to  the 
west,  making  the  arc  of  a  circle  around  our  station 
almost  in  speaking  distance.  We  could  see  the 
passengers,  a  gay  company  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  at  the  grated  windows,  looking  down 
upon  us. 

Our  company  waved  handkerchiefs,  and  they 
of  the  ship  answered  the  same  way.  It  was  some- 
thing to  see  a  little  child  with  its  arms  thrust 
through  the  cross  bars  to  the  shoulder,  waving  in 
its  tiny  hands  a  handkerchief,  in  mid  air ! 
17 


258  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

As  the  ship  passed  from  us,  her  wheels  came  in 
splendid  view.  They  looked  like  transparent  cir- 
cles, so  rapid  was  their  motion.  Thus  we  have 
seen  a  swiftly  revolving  buggy  wheel,  without  see- 
ing any  of  its  spokes.  The  wheels  were  on  the 
order  of  screw  propellers,  the  shafts  extending 
back,  and  at  considerable  angle  downward.  I 
could  now  see  why  the  ship  descended  when  the 
wheels  stopped,  and  rose  when  they  began  to 
work.  The  pressure  was  forward  and  upward. 
The  ship  passed  on  its  way,  but  left  its  image  on 
the  brainy  tablet,  so  vivid  that  even  the  caprices  of 
sectional  memory  will  not  soon  disturb  its  beauty. 

Life  was  now,  during  this  vacation,  running  very 
smoothly.  A  good  position  makes  the  world  look 
brighter.  Mine  was  one  of  high  honor,  and  also 
brought  me  the  means  of  independence.  Classic 
English  was  held  in  high  esteem,  and  was  assidu- 
ously cultivated.  The  chair  which  I  filled  in  the 
university  was  one  of  the  most  popular.  I  was  a 
welcome  guest  in  any  society,  and  my  reputation 
was  growing. 

When  it  came  to  my  turn,  according  to  custom, 
to  address  the  learned  societies  of  the  city,  I  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  deliver  the  discourse  in  classic 
English.  This  was  hailed  with  delight.  I  was  at 
once  regarded  as  a  marvel  of  erudition.  Each 
professor  in  turn  was  expected  to  deliver  a  dis- 
course to  the  learned  societies  of  the  city,  pertain- 
ing to  his  chair.  This  was  to  refresh  the  memo- 
ries of  the  alumni,  that  they  might  keep  abreast  of 


A  TALE  OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  259 

the  culture  in  the  several  departments.  It  was  a 
kind  of  post  graduate  school  in  which  they  contin- 
ued through  life. 

The  social  feature  of  these  meetings  was  delight- 
ful. These  learned  societies  were  composed  of 
ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen;  as  all  the  schools,  in- 
cluding the  university,  were  alike  open  to  both 
sexes.  The  lectures  to  the  university  classes  were 
free  to  all.  These  addresses  to  the  learned  socie- 
ties served  so  much  to  keep  alive  a  desire  for 
learning  that  the  regular  lectures  through  the 
school  session  were  often  attended  by  post  gradu- 
ates of  both  sexes.  This  was  especialty  true  of 
the  chair  of  classic  Enghsh.  I  often  found  the 
room  crowded  with  these  lovers  of  the  old  tongue. 

Invitations  poured  in  from  the  university  cities 
asking;  me  to  come  and  address  their  societies  in 
classic  EngHsh.  As  I  had  somehow  skipped  fresh 
from  the  English-speaking  people  of  the  classic 
period  into  this  highly  cultured  age,  I  had  reason  to 
believe  that,  however  deficient  in  other  branches, 
I  really  understood  classic  English  better  than  any 
other  man  in  the  world.  Confidence  in  our  own 
ability  is  productive  of  the  greatest  effort. 

All  the  years  of  learning  at  the  old  academy,  es- 
pecially the  lectures  on  English  literature  by  the 
teacher,  now  came  to  my  aid.  With  an  orator 
standing  a  thousand  years  back,  and  talking  of 
the  events  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  but  yester- 
day is  like  looking  through  a  powerful  lens ;  the  ob- 
jects seems  to  be  brought  up  for  close  inspection. 


26o  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

He  gives  with  pleasure  who  is  able  to  give  mu- 
nificently. To  feel  that  you  are  quickening  the 
pulse  of  thought:  to  see  from  the  eyes  before  you 
that  flash  in  unison  with  your  own,  that  you  are 
enlarging  the  mental  views,  and  helping  souls  to 
communion  with  higher  thought,  is  joy  ecstatic, 
reserved  alone  for  the  real  teachers  of  mankind. 
Such  oratory  blesses  the  auditors  much;  the  ora- 
tor more.  In  this  also,  the  lesson  of  the  great 
Teacher  holds  good:  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive."     That  blessing  was  mine 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Aspiring  to  Authorship. 

AFTER  an  extended  lecture  tour,  one  day  late 
in  the  vacation  I  went  to  have  a  quiet  day 
with  Tom  at  the  station.  Easy  conversation  with 
a  congenial  friend  is  restful.  I  was  communica- 
tive ;  Tom  was  a  willing  listener.  I  wanted  to  talk 
over  my  past  life  and  see  if  any  light  could  be 
thrown  on  the  mystery  of  my  transmission  through 
the  ages. 

I  began  with  my  childhood,  pointing  out  the 
place  where  I  thought  our  house  stood.  It  was 
now  a  beautiful  garden,  adjacent  to  a  magnificent 
residence.  "And  there,"  said  I,  pointing  to  a 
deep  depression,  "  is  where  the  spring  flowed  so 
delightfully  cool  from  under  the  steep  surrounding 
bluffs.  In  the  deep  recess  of  bending  ferns,  where 
the  arching  foliage  of  the  trees  hemmed  in  the 
perpetual  shade,  the  water  came  forth  dancing  with 
delight.  I  tell  you,  Tom,  it  was  a  retreat  where 
nymphs  might  live  and  love."  Tom  had  before 
smiled  at  my  enthusiasm,  but  here  he  broke  into  a 
hearty  laugh.  His  laugh  was  contagious,  and  I 
smiled  in  spite  of  my  seriousness.  The  picture 
which  I  drew  was  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  pres- 
ent reality.  There  was  before  us  only  an  ordinary 
depression,  a  little  deeper  than  others  in  the  ever 
varying  face  of  cultivated  nature.     But  in  proof  of 

(261) 


262  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

the  former  existence  of  the  spring  I  pointed  to  the 
busy  windmill  on  the  very  spot,  drawing  the  water 
from  the  depths  below  and  storing  it  in  a  reservoir 
to  gladden  the  fields  around.  Then  away  across 
the  laughing  fields  and  over  the  tops  of  beautiful 
dwellings,  and  sighting  by  a  windmill,  I  pointed  to 
the  places  where  the  academy  stood  and  where  the 
church  was  located.  I  told  about  the  slaves  and 
about  my  youthful  companions.  Then  in  tender 
accents,  letting  the  voice  fall  to  a  whisper,  for  the 
ground  whereon  I  walked  was  sacred,  I  rehearsed 
the  story  of  my  early  and  continued  love ;  how  the 
great  war  came  and  separated  me  from  the  object 
of  my  adoration.  I  told  about  our  last  fight,  and 
the  Cave  of  Futurity,  and  how  I  had  appeared  a 
stranger  in  the  land  of  my  birth. 

Tom  was  inclined  to  laugh,  but  my  manner  re- 
strained him.  When,  in  answer  to  his  query,  I 
fondly  called  the  name  of  Susie  Brantlett,  he  looked 
up  with  a  smile:  "  Why,  Sam,  there  is  a  most  ex- 
cellent lady  in  the  city  by  that  name.  I  will  intro- 
duce you  to  her  this  very  evening.  But  I  tell  you, 
old  fellow,"  he  continued,  "you  have  the  best 
materials  I  have  ever  heard  for  a  romance;  you 
must  write  a  book.  It  will  be  a  delight  for  you  to 
live  over  all  this  dream  of  yours.  You  must  not 
forget  the  Cave  of  Futurity,  and  how  you  got  away 
from  those  barbarous  times.  You  can  end  your 
story  by  finding  a  suitable  match  for  your  hero 
among  the  civilized  ladies  of  this  golden  age.  That 
will  be  a  rich  solace  for  the  loss  of  the  old  love." 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  263 

I  was  provoked  at  his  levity,  but  I  checked  such 
feelings  at  once  by  reflecting  that  he  could  not  but 
regard  my  story  as  pure  fiction.  But  I  knew  it  was 
true  to  nature,  as  I  had  lived  it.  I  began  to  think 
seriously  of  writing  the  history ;  to  me  it  would  not 
be  a  romance — no  plot  was  needed.  I  would  write 
the  straightforward  narrative  of  what  I  had  lived, 
and  how  in  some  mysterious  way  I  "had  outrun 
my  age  and  race,  and  found  myself  in  the  midst  of 
things  not  dreamed  of  before." 

That  evening  we  called  on  Miss  Susie  Brantlett. 
I  felt  a  nervous  anxiety  as  the  time  approached. 
In  the  midst  of  such  transformations  how  did  I 
know  but  that  Susie  had  experienced  some  of  the 
same,  and  that  I  should  actually  meet  her  in  these 
strange  surroundings?  I  think  Tom  really  ex- 
pected me  to  meet  my  loved  and  lost,  and  that 
memory  was  about  to  be  restored,  and  that  I  would 
prove  not  to  be  a  stranger  in  Comos.  He  talked 
as  if  he  thought  I  was  about  to  pick  up  the  tangled 
thread  of  life  and  unravel  the  mysteries  of  my 
strange  career. 

But  Miss  Susie  was  not  my  Susie.  She  was 
larger  and  taller ;  would  weigh  at  least  forty  pounds 
more.  She  was  a  noble  woman,  worthy  to  be  a 
descendant  of  the  old  race.  She  was  highly  cul- 
tured and  very  agreeable.  Her  every  movement 
showed  that,  like  all  the  cultured  citizens  of  Comos, 
she  was  thoroughbred.  She  was  very  cordial — in 
fact,  her  appreciation  was  almost  embarrassing. 
"I  am  delighted,"  she  said — "  as  who  is  not? — to 


264  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

entertain  the  learned  professor  of  classic  English. 
I  have  heard  all  your  lectures  in  the  city  to  the 
learned  societies,  and  have  been  so  well  pleased 
that  I  have  attended  many  of  the  lectures  to  the 
classes.     I  am  a  dear  lover  of  classic  English." 

Of  course  I  was  gratified.  A  taste  in  common 
is  often  a  bond  of  friendship,  and  I  recognized  at 
once  a  new  tie  in  the  strange  city  of  Comos.  In 
this  presence  nothing  was  more  acceptable  than 
classic  English,  so  I  led  off  for  some  time  in  a  sort 
of  discussion  of  the  old  authors.  Miss  Susie 
seemed  to  be  highly  entertained,  and  so  far  entered 
into  the  conversation  as  to  show  she  had  indeed 
studied  the  classics  of  her  ancestors.  She  had 
found  a  volume  in  the  city  library  which  she  told 
us  interested  her  very  much.  It  was  found  in  an 
obscure  corner,  where  apparently  it  had  not  been 
disturbed  for  ages.  "  The  title  of  the  book,"  she 
said,  "  is  '  Ben-Hur.'  I  hardly  know  whether  it  is 
history  or  romance.  It  is  sometimes  like  one,  and 
sometimes  like  the  other.  It  perplexes  me  because 
I  have  to  make  such  constant  use  of  the  dictionary. 
When  I  become  most  deeply  interested  I  have  to 
stop  to  hunt  words  and  study  phrases,  and  it  is  hard 
for  me  to  keep  the  personages  in  mind.  I  suppose 
this  is  because  the  work  is  so  very  ancient.  It 
gives  an  account  of  things  in  the  time  of  our  Sav- 
iour. I  did  not  know  before  that  the  English  lan- 
guage was  spoken  that  far  back.  I  will  be  glad  to 
have  you  give  me  some  assistance  in  its  study." 

With  this  she  rose  and  went  for  the  volume.     I 


A  TALE  OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  265 

had  never  heard  of  the  book,  but  supposed  from 
the  name  that  it  was  the  work  of  some  Jewish  rabbi. 
I  was  regretting  the  necessity  of  confessing  my 
ignorance,  when  she  returned  and  placed  the  musty 
volume  in  my  hands.  I  saw  at  a  glance  it  was 
familiar  English,  and  felt  relieved.  The  next  thing 
was  to  look  for  the  date  and  the  author.  Both  as- 
tonished and  puzzled  me.  Seventeen  years  ahead 
of  time,  according  to  my  count,  and  by  General 
Lew  Wallace.  Why,  my  ears  almost  tingled  at 
the  remembrance  of  the  guns  of  Lew  Wallace  at 
Fort  Donaldson.  The  idea  of  that  grim  warrior 
writing  the  story  of  the  world's  great  Peacemaker ! 

I  was  so  occupied  by  these  reflections  that  I  had 
almost  forgotten  the  demands  of  politeness.  As  it 
would  be  to  me  like  reading  a  novel  fresh  from  the 
press,  or,  rather,  ahead  of  the  press,  I  remarked 
to  Miss  Susie  that  I  would  be  glad  to  read  the  vol- 
ume with  her.  She  was  so  delighted  with  the  pro- 
posal, and  I  was  so  anxious  to  read  the  book,  that 
next  day  was  appointed  as  a  time  to  begin  the 
reading. 

Reading  a  few  passages  by  way  of  foretaste,  I 
saw  that  the  book  was  one  of  thrilling  interest.  It 
would  be  all  the  more  so  to  me  because  of  the  au- 
thor, who,  if  I  did  not  personally  know,  I  had  good 
reason  to  personally  remember !  Just  here  I  was 
reminded  by  the  chime  of  a  neighboring  dial  that 
it  was  22  o'clock  (corresponding  to  our  lo  o'clock 
P.M.),  and  time,  according  to  custom,  to  retire. 
Custom  is  more  than  law  in  Comos.     No  explana- 


266  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

tion  was  necessary.  Tom  and  I  both  rose  at  the 
same  instant  and  bade  her  good-night. 

What  with  fiUing  my  remaining  appointments  to 
lecture,  and  reading  with  Miss  Susie,  planning  my 
book,  the  few  remaining  days  of  vacation  soon 
passed. 

In  settling  down  regularly  to  work  in  the  univer- 
sity, I  settled  down  also  to  the  task  of  writing  my 
book.  But  the  question  soon  came  up  in  my  mind 
whether  I  should  write  in  classic  or  modern  Eng- 
lish. Of  course  it  was  much  easier  for  me  to  write 
in  the  old  tongue.  But  that  would  be  to  write  only 
for  scholars.  On  the  other  hand,  if  I  should  write 
in  the  vernacular,  the  work  might  be  awkwardly 
done  and  be  little  to  my  credit.  I  had  a  reputation 
to  sustain.  I  noticed  that  whole  classes  of  words 
had  disappeared.  The  thousand  years  that  had 
intervened  had  been  a  severe  test  of  the  vitality  of 
words.  The  words  of  life  and  power — words 
whose  very  essence  seemed  to  be  active  in  the 
ideas  they  expressed — had  lived.  The  most  living 
words  in  the  ancient  English  were  living  still  in  the 
modern  tongue.  Most  naturally  I  formed  the  habit 
of  trying  to  express  ideas  by  the  ancient  words 
which  were  still  in  the  living  language.  Being  un- 
derstood by  both,  they  were  a  bond  of  union  be- 
tween myself  and  the  people  of  these  modern  times 
on  which  I  had  fallen.  These  were  the  most  ex- 
pressive words.  They  were  the  picture  words; 
such  words  as  painted  living  images  in  the  mind  of 
the  hearers.     I  was  convinced  that  my  success  as 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         267 

a  lecturer  was  due  to  the  use  of  these  best  words. 
I  determined,  therefore,  to  adopt  this  method  in 
writing.  I  would  use  the  old  language,  but  try  to 
express  my  ideas  in  such  words  as  were  still  living. 
When  the  word  would  likely  not  be  understood  by 
the  modern  reader,  a  modern  substitute  in  paren- 
thesis would  make  the  meaning  plain.  When 
something  more  should  be  necessary,  I  would  re- 
sort to  footnotes  and  brief  translations. 

It  was  evident  that  such  a  book  would  be  of  great 
service  to  beginners  in  the  study  of  the  classics, 
and  also  to  refresh  the  minds  of  those  who  had 
partly  laid  such  studies  aside.  If  I  could  write  a 
book  that  would  be  a  necessity  to  the  university 
school,  I  would  thereby  secure  a  permanent  place 
in  literature.  I  was  enthused  with  the  work,  and 
applied  myself  with  diligence.  The  manuscript 
grew  in  bulk  week  after  week. 

Meanwhile  my  visits  to  Miss  Susie  became  more 
and  more  interesting.  Tom  said  he  was  sure  I 
would  find  a  solace  for  the  loss  of  the  ancient  Susie 
in  the  possession  of  the  modern  one.  "  That,''  he 
said,  "would  be  a  splendid  Jin  a /e  to  your  literary 
production,  and  also  a  desirable  consummation  of 
your  earthl}'-  happiness."  Miss  Susie  was  no  doubt 
a  jewel  of  rare  value,  a  thorough  lady  in  every 
sense;  but  the  sigh  of  my  heart  was  for  my  own 
Susie  of  the  olden  time. 

In  the  autumn  the  great  agricultural  fair  was 
held  in  the  suburbs  of  Comos.  This  was  an  occa- 
sion of  great  interest.     The  display  of  stock  was 


268  SAM    WILLIAMS; 

immense.  The  riding,  driving,  draft,  and  race 
horses  were  entirely  distinct  breeds.  Each  breed 
had  such  clearly  defined  characteristics  adapted  to 
the  uses  intended  that  they  might  almost  be  regard- 
ed as  different  species. 

The  breeds  of  cows  were  many,  but  all  belonged 
to  two  great  classes,  adapted  to  the  world's  foods 
— milk  and  beef.  The  race  had  narrowed  down  to 
this.  In  each  of  these  two  great  classes  were  many 
breeds,  such  as  the  Kansas,  Delta,  Texas,  Gulf 
Coast,  and  Allegheny  breeds.  They  were  sever- 
ally the  products  of  localities  where  the  foods  and 
climatic  influences  afforded  the  best  development 
for  the  purposes  intended. 

Mississippi  sheep  produced  the  finest  wool; 
those  of  Illinois  took  the  premium  for  mutton ;  the 
Montana  goats  carried  off  the  palm  for  kid,  and 
those  of  Arizona  for  the  best  textile. 

The  poultry  department  was  extensive  and  varied. 
The  wingless  chickens  were  new  to  me.  The 
wings  still  remained  as  rudimentary  organs  long 
out  of  use.  The  dry  land  duck  was  also  a  novelty. 
He  was  a  plump,  compact  bird,  almost  wingless. 
The  web  had  disappeared  from  between  the  toes. 

The  turkey  seemed  to  be  the  favorite  fowl  with 
these  prosperous  Americans.  There  were  quite  a 
number  of  distinct  varieties:  the  pure  black,  the 
snowy  white,  the  golden  hued,  and  the  deep  brown. 
But  in  all  of  them  I  noticed  a  great  change  from 
the  bird  of  my  early  time.  The  long,  slender, 
running  legs  had  been  converted  into  thick,  sturdy 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  269 

legs  for  standing;  the  unused  wings  had  become 
small  and  clumsy;  the  broad  breasts,  originally  in- 
tended to  sustain  vigorous  flight,  had  become  massed 
with  the  sweetest  white  flesh.  The  turkey,  like 
everything  else,  had  changed  to  meet  the  demands 
of  man's  exacting  appetite.  The  noble  bird  as  I 
then  saw  him  was  round  and  plump,  his  heavy 
breast  hanging  forward,  more  resembling  the  ex- 
tinct dodo  than  the  slender,  graceful,  wild  turkey 
of  the  American  forest. 

But  time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  all  the  wonders 
displayed ;  of  the  eyeless  potatoes,  propagated  from 
the  seed;  of  the  coreless  apples  and  stoneless 
peaches  produced  by  grafting;  of  the  strawberries 
weighing  ten  ounces  apiece;  of  blackberries  of 
beautifully  variegated  colors.  Inventive  genius  had 
found  a  way  to  preserve  berries  and  fruits  of  every 
kind,  so  that  it  was  not  strange  for  these  berries  to 
have  been  kept  over  in  good,  fresh  condition  for  the 
fair.     The  Comoreans  were  very  fond  of  berries. 

Having  a  natural  turn  for  machinery,  I  passed  on 
to  that  department.  The  motor  was  almost  the  uni- 
versal power,  being  used  for  nearly  every  purpose. 
It  was  on  exhibition  in  nearly  every  imaginable 
shape  and  size.  The  principle  on  which  they  were 
constructed  is  the  same  in  all.  It  is  the  well-known 
fact  that  the  opposite  poles  of  a  magnet  attract, 
while  like  poles  repel.  To  secure  the  full  advan- 
tage of  this  principle  as  a  motive  power,  a  simple 
system  of  electro-magnets  was  devised.  The  es- 
sential parts  of  the  machine  were  as  follows:   A 


270  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

cylinder  whose  outer  rim  was  supplied  with  mag- 
nets. This  revolved  inside  of  a  stationery  cylin- 
der, or  shell,  the  inside  rim  of  which  was  also  fur- 
nished with  magnets.  These  magnets,  those  in 
the  revolving  cylinder  and  those  in  the  inclosing 
shell,  thus  brought  in  close  connection  with  each 
other,  were  so  arranged  that  attracting  poles  were 
all  the  time  coming  toward  each  other,  and  the  re- 
pelling ones  always  receding  from  each  other. 
This  was  accomplished  by  an  automatic  regulation 
of  the  electrical  currents. 

In  all  locomotive  machines,  including  the  ever 
present  cycle,  the  electricity  was  supplied  by  stor^ 
age  batteries.  These  storage  batteries  had  been 
brought  to  such  perfection  that  a  battery  not  larger 
than  the  canteen  I  used  to  carry  in  the  war  would 
run  a  cycle  for  hours.  Every  windmill  might  be 
used  as  a  motor  for  storing  the  batteries,  so  that 
they  were  always  on  hand  in  great  abundance. 
The  machine  was  simple  enough  in  construction 
and  very  durable.  It  was  called  a  mo,  probably 
from  the  well-known  tendency  of  Americans  to 
shorten  names.  In  this  case  they  trimmed  down 
to  the  central  idea.  Mo  is  the  taproot  of  motion, 
motive,  locomotive.  It  expresses  motion  pure  and 
simple.  Thus  these  advanced  Americans  had 
caught  and  harnessed  one  of  the  most  potent  forces 
of  nature — the  magnetic  force — which  holds  all  the 
worlds  in  proper  ecliptic  position  and  performs  an 
important  part  in  the  grand  machinery  of  the  uni- 
verse. 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  2^1 

My  book  grew  upon  me.  The  narrative  needed 
no  coloring.  Truth  in  that  case  was  stranger  than 
fiction.  To  tell  these  people  the  rude  methods  of 
their  forefathers ;  of  their  native  country,  when  it 
was  supporting  its  first  or  second  generation  of 
men,  while  large  areas  of  it  were  still  covered  with 
primeval  forests;  of  the  manners  and  customs  in 
vogue  when  classic  English  was  the  living  vernac- 
ular; of  the  slaves,  whose  constant  labors  made 
life  a  perpetual  leisure  to  their  masters;  of  the 
gigantic  war,  whose  history  is  known  only  to 
scholars — these  were  themes  which  needed  not  the 
aid  of  foreign  ornament. 

But  the  most  tender,  the  most  pathetic,  the  most 
intensely  interesting — the  part  that  had  heart  and 
soul  in  it — was  that  which  told  of  Susie,  the  loved 
and  lost.  "  While  I  was  musing  the  fire  burned." 
How  pure,  how  unselfish  the  love  which  hovered 
over  this  broken  shrine !  How  sweetly  varied  the 
phases  of  her  picture  to  memory's  eye,  as  in  the 
kaleidoscope  of  affection  she  passes  in  review  be- 
fore me  from  childhood  to  maturity !  It  was  almost 
sacrilegious  to  expose  the  shrine  of  my  heart  to  the 
gaze  of  unsympathetic  readers.  But  what  better 
could  I  do?  If  Susie,  by  the  cold  hand  of  fate, 
has  been  separated  from  me  forever,  why  should  I 
not  embalm  her  memory  in  the  beautiful  mazes  of 
story  ? 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
The  Return. 

TWO  strange  facts  had  been  constantly  present 
to  my  mind  since  my  first  appearance  in  the 
country.  One  was  the  absence  of  the  slave  popu- 
lation. What  had  become  of  the  negroes?  Their 
absence  might  readily  be  accounted  for  on  the 
supposition  that  a  thousand  years  had  actually 
elapsed.  That  seemed  really  to  be  the  case.  In 
fact,  that  was  the  only  way  to  account  for  this 
and  many  other  great  changes  everywhere  plainly 
seen. 

I  suppose  that  if  one  could  be  unconscious  for  a 
thousand  years,  or  even  ten  thousand,  there  would, 
on  a  resuscitation  to  life,  be  no  apparent  loss  of 
time.  I  could  readily  perceive,  therefore,  that  the 
last  day  I  spent  in  the  old  state,  even  though  a 
thousand  years  ago,  would  seem  but  as  yesterday. 
Of  course  the  transmission  was  entirely  mysterious. 
I  had  to  accept  that,  just  as  I  had  to  accept  my 
existence,  as  a  matter  above  the  reach  of  my  fac- 
ulties.    I  had  about  accepted  that  view  of  the  case. 

I  inquired  of  those  who  it  appeared  to  me  should 
know,  where  the  negroes  were;  and  the  uniform 
reply  was  that  the  darker  races  lived  farther  south. 
I  could  find  quite  a  number  of  people  who  boasted 
of  negro  blood ;  it  reminded  me  of  the  people,  al- 

*      (272) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         273 

ways  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia,  who  used  to 
boast  of  descent  from  Pocahontas,  and  were  really 
proud  of  their  Indian  blood. 

The  other  strange  fact  was  the  absence  of  the 
poor,  especially  in  a  city  as  large  as  Comos.  I 
noticed  the  same  in  other  cities  where  I  had  beea 
lecturing.  Mr.  Wise  gave  the  most  satisfactoiy 
explanation.  He  said:  "  There  had  been  a  tend- 
ency in  all  ages  for  wealth  to  accumulate  in  the 
hands  of  the  few,  to  the  detriment  of  the  many. 
Conditions  of  society  at  different  times  and  differ- 
ent places  have  greatly  strengthened  this  tendency. 
Under  such  favoring  conditions  great  fortunes  have 
been  accumulated,  thus  at  once  increasing  the  de- 
sire and  the  capacity  by  which  it  is  gratified.  The 
accumulation  of  wealth  in  consequence  has  gone 
on  with  accelerated  facility.  The  poor  were  the 
first  to  be  made  poorer.  Then  the  smaller  fortunes 
were  taken  up.  Then  larger  ones  were  melted  and 
absorbed.  Fortunes  grew  larger  and  fewer  in  reg- 
ular ratio. 

"During  all  this  time  rich  men  were  honored  be- 
cause of  their  riches.  The  money-maker  was  the 
hero.  This  gave  tenfold  force  to  the  desire  to 
make  and  possess  wealth.  Thus  people  were  aid- 
ing their  own  ultimate  downfall.  They  cheered 
the  skill  of  the  man  who  was  making  the  fetters  by 
which  their  own  limbs  were  to  be  manacled.  This 
same  state  of  things  exists  to-day  in  the  less  enlight- 
ened countries. 

"But  the  controlling  nations  of  the  world  have 
18 


274  ^"^^    WILLIAMS: 

grown  wiser.  In  all  self-respecting  men  there  is  a 
principle  stronger  than  the  love  of  money.  This 
is  the  desire  to  have  the  good  opinion  of  our  fellow- 
man.  As  soon  as  public  opinion  ceased  to  worship 
wealth  great  fortunes  ceased  to  be  desirable.  The 
opinion  became  general  that  the  race  for  money 
beyond  a  reasonable  competence  was  unwise,  un- 
natural, and  unchristian:  unwise,  because  it  de- 
feats the  very  purpose  in  view,  the  happiness  of  the 
money-maker  and  his  family;  unnatural,  because 
it  takes  the  rights  of  the  many  and  gives  them  to 
the  few,  producing  an  abnormal  and  congestive 
condition  of  the  body  politic  that  is  essentially 
unhealthy;  unchristian,  because  such  a  state  of 
things  is  utterly  irreconcilable  with  the  principles 
of  the  great  Teacher. 

*'  When  the  world  came  to  recognize  these  facts, 
none  were  more  ready  to  readjust  the  financial 
basis  than  the  very  rich.  Strange  to  say,  men  of 
small  fortunes,  whose  wealth  was  most  liable  to 
absorption,  were  the  most  conservative.  The 
millionaires  were  ready  to  relax.  A  small  per 
cent,  income  seemed  amply  sufficient.  The  great 
manufacturers  were  satisfied  with  a  small  per  cent, 
on  their  investments.  The  employees  were  at  once 
content  with  wages  which  heretofore  seemed  too 
small.  The  surplus,  after  paying  the  per  cent,  and 
wages,  was  divided  between  proprietors  and  work- 
men on  terms  satisfactory  to  all. 

"All  other  industries  fell  into  line.  Everybody 
was  satisfied.     The  rich  were  still  rich,  the  poor 


A  TALE   OF   THE   OLD   SOUTH.  275 

had  no  fear  of  poverty.  Very  little,  seemingly, 
had  been  done.  The  world  had  simply  let  go  and 
let  the  tension  relax.  Thus  the  problem  of  all 
ages  at  once  melted  away.  Rich  and  poor  were 
alike  free. 

"  To  be  sure,  there  were  still  a  few  skinflints,  but 
they  were  ashamed  of  themselves.  Fortunately, 
such  men  are  of  small  caliber,  and  consequently  of 
limited  influence.  Their  closeness  was  rarely 
transmitted  from  father  to  son.  Public  opinion 
became  very  strong  against  such  avarice,  and  the 
young  being  more  susceptible  to  its  influence,  the 
sons  rarely  walked  in  the  evil  ways  of  their  fathers. 

"  Workingmen  easily  live  on  their  wages.  Their 
dividends  are  surplus  cash.  This  is  almost  inva- 
riable invested  either  in  the  capital  stock  of  the 
plant  where  they  work  or  in  some  desirable  enter- 
prise. Thus  men  become  at  the  same  time  wage- 
earners  and  proprietors.  This  has,  in  the  lapse  of 
time,  done  much  to  obliterate  the  distinction  be- 
tween labor  and  capital. 

"'This,  then,  accounts  for  the  absence  of  the 
poor.  There  are  now  no  special  tendencies  to  pov- 
erty. Nobody  wishes  to  oppress.  Public  opinion 
demands  that  in  some  way  every  man  shall  be  em- 
ployed: that  he  shall  make  himself  useful.  Then 
every  man  who  works  not  only  gets  fair  wages,  but 
has  an  equable  interest  in  what  his  hands  have 
helped  to  produce.  He  pays  but  a  reasonable 
price  for  the  capital  he  uses.  He  gets  a  reasona- 
ble  compensation  for  his  day's  work,  and  a  fair 


276  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

share  of  what  that  work  has  added  to  the  world's 
wealth." 

During  the  winter  I  was  busy  with  the  univer- 
sity lectures  and  the  writing  of  my  book.  This 
latter  labor  now  engaged  my  most  earnest  endeav- 
or. Notwithstanding  these  labors,  two  evenings 
per  week  were  spent  with  Miss  Susie  in  reading 
old  English.  These  evenings  were  delightful,  and 
grew  constantly  more  so  as  the  weeks  were  pass- 
ing by. 

Miss  Susie  was  a  remarkably  gifted  lady.  She 
soon  became  so  familiar  with  the  construction  and 
pronunciation  of  the  classic  tongue  that  we  used  it 
almost  exclusively  in  conversation.  It  was  like  a 
return  to  my  previous  state  of  long  ago  to  hear  the 
dear  old  words  pronounced  by  the  silvery  tongue 
of  this  cultured  lady. 

Nearly  every  day  I  met  and  had  some  pleasant 
words  with  Tom  Dorman.  We  frequently  took 
tea  together;  and  many  a  morning  we  took  a  cycle 
race  on  the  smooth  road  out  toward  the  station. 

My  relations  with  the  professors  were  pleasant. 
Dr.  Simpson  and  Prof.  Young  were  congenial 
gentlemen.  I  loved  to  cultivate  the  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  Wise.  He  was  ordinarily  a  man  of  few 
words,  and  had  to  be  cultivated  to  get  to  the  best 
stratum  of  his  nature.  Thus,  with  pleasant  mental 
labor  and  congenial  companionship,  the  winter  was 
"  over  and  gone  "  almost  before  I  woke  to  a  real- 
ization of  the  fact. 

One  evening  Tom  and  I  were  taking  tea  together 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         277 

when  I  reminded  him  of  the  fact  that  next  day 
would  be  the  anniversary  of  our  first  meeting  at 
the  station.  The  mystery  of  my  appearance  in  the 
country  at  that  time  came  upon  me  with  renewed 
force.  And  we  talked  upon  it  for  some  time.  As 
the  next  day  was  Monday,  and  consequently  the 
rest  day  for  the  schools,  I  had  a  fancy  for  cele- 
brating the  day  by  donning  my  old  military  uni- 
form, which  I  had  kept  carefully  folded  away,  and 
going  out  to  the  reserv^ation  to  muse  on  the  uncer- 
tainties of  life.  Tom  said  it  would  be  a  recreation 
for  me,  which  he  thought  was  needful  after  a  hard 
winter's  work. 

So  next  morning,  bright  and  early,  before  the  in- 
habitants were  up,  we  were  on  our  cycles  speeding 
out  of  the  city.  I  stopped  at  the  station  an  hour 
or  two  with  Tom,  taking  another  view  of  this  beau- 
tifully cultivated  country.  The  grandeur  of  its 
civilization  never  impressed  me  more  than  it  did 
this  morning.  The  landscape  was  never  more 
charming.  The  freshness  of  a  bright  spring  morn- 
ing, the  rising  sun,  whose  rays  clustered  in  the 
dewdrops,  gave  additional  loveliness  to  the  scene. 
The  charm  of  poesy  and  the  power  of  science  had 
united  to  make  a  terrestial  paradise. 

As  I  looked  fondly  on  the  glowing  scenes  before 
me,  the  thought  of  my  mysterious  appearance  here 
so  entirely  out  of  time  came  upon  me  with  such 
force  and  weighed  so  heavily  on  my  mind  I  felt 
out  of  place  in  the  presence  of  my  joyous  and  light- 
hearted  companion.     That  I  might  not  oppress  his 


278  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

spirit  with  my  own  abstractions,  I  took  leave  of 
him  and  speeded  along  the  smooth  road  which  I 
traveled  with  so  much  astonishment  just  one  year 
ago. 

I  turned  in  at  the  gate,  and,  leaving  my  cycle  by 
its  side,  took  my  way  along  the  same  path  I  had 
come  the  morning  of  my  singular  advent  into  this 
strange  country.  The  path  looked  just  like  it  did 
that  morning.  When  I  reached  the  hill,  to  my 
very  great  astonishment,  there  was  the  cave  just  as 
I  had  looked  back  to  it  one  year  ago.  I  had  looked 
that  ground  a  dozen  times  over,  and  had  failed  al- 
ways before  to  see  the  slightest  semblance  of  that 
cave. 

I  went  into  this  opening  with  a  palpitating  heart. 
Beneath  my  feet  was  the  same  soft  floor  of  green 
moss.  I  went  on  almost  in  a  run  till  I  came  to  the 
couch  on  which  I  had  spent  the  night.  Here  I 
stopped  and  reflected.  This  is  surely  leading  me 
back  to  the  old  world.  If  I  go  on,  I  will  come  out 
into  my  former  life.  Is  it  best  to  plunge  again  into 
war,  and  cast  my  lot  in  a  country  desolated  by 
strife?  I  am  leaving  my  professorship,  my  pre- 
cious manuscript,  my  bank  account,  the  most  en- 
lightened and  prosperous  people  I  have  ever 
known,  a  country  of  peace  and  plenty.  This  very 
evening  I  have  an  engagement  to  read  with  Miss 
Susie. 

But  this  leads  me  home:  to  father  and  mother; 
to  Susie — not  the  cultured,  the  thoroughbred,  but 
my  Susie,  the  Susie  of  my  lifelong  love,  the  idol 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  279 

enshrined  in  the  shekinah  of  my  soul.  And  with 
this  thought  I  broke  into  a  run,  and  halted  not  till 
I  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  I  bounded 
out,  and  sure  enough  here  were  the  old  woods,  the 
same  old  rugged  hills.  I  had  several  times  trav- 
eled over  this  country  during  the  last  year,  and 
these  hills,  leveled  and  terraced,  were  teeming 
with  crops  and  ornamented  with  beautiful  resi- 
dences. I  am  now  just  in  the  line  of  the  great 
Northwestern. 

But  here  are  the  old  scenes  of  my  boyhood.  I 
must  now  look  for  home  and  Susie.  I  looked 
back  to  take  a  final  view  of  the  Cave  of  Futurity, 
and,  behold!  there  was  not  the  sign  of  a  cave: 
simply  the  bluff  which  had  stood  there  for  ages. 
There  was  nothing  unusual  on  its  surface.  I 
thought  I  must  surely  be  the  victim  of  some  strange 
hallucination. 

I  now  went  along  the  old  way  by  which  I  had 
come  down  to  that  bluff  a  year  ago.  When  I 
came  near  the  road,  I  saw  a  wagon  coming.  It 
was  drawn  by  two  old  mules  which  looked  haggard 
and  poor.  Wagon  and  team  both  looked  like  war 
times.  Why,  there's  Will  Benson,  Sam  McGee, 
and  Joe  Conway.  The  wagon  made  a  halt  for  me 
to  get  in.  I  had  seemed  as  one  in  a  dream.  But 
now  sitting  by  Will  Benson,  while  the  old  wagon 
jolted  over  the  roots,  my  mind  seemed  to  clear  up. 
Full  consciousness  gained  ascendency.  The  road 
was  familiar  to  me.  I  knew  just  where  we  were 
and  how  far  it  was  home. 


28o  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

Turning  to  Will,  I  asked;  "  What  does  all  this 
mean?" 

Will's  face  lighted  up  with  a  joy  I  could  not  un- 
derstand. "  Why,  Sam,"  he  answered,  "  we  are 
going  home.    Don't  you  know  the  road?  " 

"Yes,"  I  returned,  "  I  do  know  the  road.  But 
where  are  we  from  ?  What  have  I  been  doing  the 
past  twelve  months?"  I  noticed  the  other  boys, 
who  sat  on  the  back  seat,  leaning  forward  greatly 
delighted. 

"For  the  last  twelve  months,"  Will  repeated 
slowly.  "  Yes,  it  has  been  just  a  little  over  twelve 
months    since   we   were    captured." 

"Since  you  all  were  captured,"  I  said,  "but 
what  about  me?  " 

"You  were  almost  killed  by  the  cavalry 
charge,"  he  said.  "  The  captors  wanted  to  leave 
you  on  the  field  as  dead,  but  you  were  still 
breathing.  We  did  not  know  but  there  was  a 
chance  for  your  recovery,  and  it  might  be  long  be- 
fore you  would  be  found  and  cared  for  if  left.  We 
absolutely  refused  to  march  till  you  were  placed  in 
an  ambulance.  In  a  few  weeks  you  were  well,  ex- 
cept in  mind.  Only  a  week  ago  I  succeeded  in 
getting  an  operation  performed  to  relieve  your 
brain  of  pressure.  The  surgeon  said  you  would 
probably  come  right  in  about  a  week.  To-day  you 
give  the  first  clear  indications  that  you  are  well 
again." 

I  sat  and  thought  in  silence.  My  skip  of  a  thou- 
sand years  into  the  future  was  all  the  imaginings  of 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         281 

a  disordered  brain.  My  professorship,  authorship, 
and  bank  account,  my  fame  for  learning,  my  high 
social  position  in  the  most  cultivated  society  was 
all  a  delusion.  I  smiled  at  the  uxuberance  of  my 
crippled  imagination.  Well,  I  had  a  high  time. 
And  perhaps  that  which  appeared  to  me  so  real, 
may,  in  a  thousand  years,  prove  to  have  the  flavor 
of  prophecy.  I  can  well  lay  down  my  fancied 
honors  if  my  Susie  will  but  receive  my  offer  of  de- 
votion. 

I  thought  about  what  I  had  missed  of  the  hard- 
ships of  prison  life,  and  what  a  happy  exchange  I 
had  made.  Instead  of  confinement  in  the  gloomy 
walls  of  a  prison,  I  had  been  living  in  splendid 
style  and  visiting  people  who  lived  in  mansions. 
Instead  of  the  haggard  and  sorrowful  faces  of  my 
comrades,  I  had  been  looking  on  the  chivalry  and 
beauty  of  a  grand  country.  I  had  exchanged  the 
hardships  and  din  of  war  for  a  land  of  peace  and 
plenty.  Instead  of  the  taunts  and  gibes  of  our 
keepers,  "the  proud  man's  contumely,"  my  rapt 
ear  had  listened  to  the  long  roll  of  fame. 

Just  here  I  roused  up  from  my  reverie  to  remind 
Will  that  he  was  taking  the  wrong  road. 

"  O,"  said  he,  "  we  are  going  to  my  house." 

"All  right,"  I  replied ;  "  just  let  me  get  out,  and 
I  can  walk  home.  It  is  hardly  a  mile  now."  The 
expression  on  Will's  face  alarmed  me.  The  very 
low  state  of  father's  health  when  last  I  heard  of 
him,  and  the  long  time  that  had  elapsed  since,  at 
once  suffgested  the  worst. 


282  SAM   WILLIAMS: 

Will  saw  that  explanation  was  necessary.  As 
gently  as  possible  he  broke  the  sad  intelligence. 
Both  parents  had  died — father  nearly  a  year  ago, 
and  mother  six  months  later. 

This  was  a  terrible  blow.  It  was  almost  crush- 
ing. I  could  see  that  Will,  and  the  other  boys 
also,  feared  its  effect  on  my  mental  condition. 
But  I  told  them  that  grief  was  natural  and  tears 
were  a  relief.  As  to  my  mental  state,  I  felt  that 
my  mind  had  thoroughly  regained  its  elasticity. 

Sister  Mary  was  overjoyed  to  receive  us  back 
home.  "And,"  she  said,  "you  are  home  to  stay. 
The  news  has  just  reached  us  that  Gen.  Lee  has 
surrendered,  and  of  course  the  war  is  over."  This 
was  startling  news,  and  true. 

When  the  ebullition  of  feeling  had  somewhat  sub- 
sided, Will  gave  an  account  of  our  capture  and 
prison  life  till  we  were  exchanged  a  few  days  ago. 
I  listened  attentively,  for  it  was  as  much  news  to  me 
as  it  was  to  my  sister.  Letters  had  come  through 
the  lines,  and  sister  had  heard  of  my  mental  con- 
dition. Her  joy  was  unbounded  to  find  me  com- 
pletely restored. 

The  war  being  over,  it  was  time  to  estimate  re- 
sults. The  one  great  result  most  palpable  to  us 
was  the  freedom  of  the  slaves.  At  one  mighty 
sweep  nearly  all  the  property  of  the  South  went 
down  in  the  whirlpool  of  war.  We  stood  aghast 
to  see  the  foundation  knocked  out,  and  our  entire 
social  fabric  tottering  to  its  fall.  Slavery  had  be- 
come so  thoroughly  ingrafted  into  our   Southern 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  2S3 

life  that  it  seemed  to  be  the  natural  condition.  So 
it  had  always  appeared  to  me.  A  tirm  but  mild 
authority  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  confiding  obedi- 
ence on  the  other:  these  deeply  imbedded  princi- 
ples, all  overgrown  with  the  green  ivy  of  peace, 
made  the  symbol  of  slavery  as  it  had  always  pre- 
sented itself  to  my  childish  perception. 

But  four  years  of  war  had  graduated  me  to  man- 
hood. I  now  stood  face  to  face  with  the  new 
problem.  Having  been  born  heir  to  property  and 
cradled  in  the  expectation  of  an  easy  competence, 
I  now  confronted  the  necessity  of  making  an  inde- 
pendent living,  either  by  muscle  or  brain.  And  I 
felt  the  manhood  in  me  strengthening  up  to  full 
proportions.  I  was  emancipated.  Along  the  fiery 
crest  of  battle  God's  hand  had  been  stretched  out 
to  take  the  bonds,  not  only  from  the  negro's  body, 
but  from  his  mind  as  well.  I  rejoiced  to  know 
that  the  best  qualities  of  the  negro  race  as  I  had 
learned  to  appreciate  them  could  henceforth  de- 
velop in  a  state  of  freedom.  The  picture  of  old 
Ephraim,  standing  day  and  night  by  the  bedside  of 
his  dying  master,  with  grief  unfeigned,  and  help- 
fulness ever  on  the  watch;  the  faithfulness  and 
business  capacity  of  Jack,  tested  from  young  to  old 
manhood;  the  unfaiHng kindness  and  strict  fidelity 
of  mammy,  the  guardian  of  my  youth ;  the  humble 
piety  of  Uncle  Sam,  the  patriarch ;  the  eloquence 
of  John,  the  preacher;  the  heroic  conduct  of 
George  on  the  field  of  Shiloh :  these  and  other  ex- 
amples stand  vividly  out  on  memory's  tablet. 


284  SAM    WILLIAMS. 

A  race  which  can  produce  characters  like 
these  deserves  to  be  free.  Let  no  man  henceforth 
be  in  position  to  restrict  or  dwarf  such  traits.  The 
world  has  a  right  to  the  best  that  every  race  can 
produce.  It  is  therefore  right  for  every  race  to  be 
in  position  to  produce  the  best.  I  could  not  but 
believe  that  the  deep  piety  and  pure  faith  character- 
istic of  the  negro  race  gives  a  divine  title  to  free- 
dom. "If  simple  faith  is  more  than  Norman 
blood,"  then  the  time  is  overdue  when  the  shack- 
les should  be  taken  from  the  negro's  soul.  Such 
reflections  reconciled  me  to  the  loss  of  property 
and  helped  to  blunt  the  keen  edge  of  defeat. 

Another  important  result  of  the  war  I  could  but 
regard  with  a  gleam  of  satisfaction,  even  in  the  an- 
guish of  defeat.  That  was  the  preservation  of  the 
country  in  its  entire  territorial  extent.  From  my 
earliest  years  I  had  been  proud  of  my  country's 
greatness.  I  had  mourned  over  the  wane  of  that 
greatness  in  the  disunion  of  the  states.  Now  while 
my  heart  bled  because  of  the  humiliation  of  my 
native  state,  prostrate  as  a  conquered  province, 
with  her  proud  escutcheon  trailing  in  the  dust,  I 
yet  felt  a  recompense  in  the  prospect  of  a  grand, 
united  country;  a  nation  which  would  command 
the  respect  and  challenge  the  admiration  of  all 
mankind 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

The  Consummation. 

THIS  was  my  first  day  of  normal  consciousness 
for  more  than  a  year.  It  is  not  surprising 
that,  after  the  excitement  of  getting  home  had 
abated,  I  felt  great  lassitude  both  of  body  and 
mind.  With  solicitude  beyond  description,  my 
thoughts  centered  on  Susie.  Now  that  my  par- 
ents were  gone,  I  felt  more  than  ever  that  my  life's 
happiness  depended  on  her.  I  desired  to  go  at 
once  to  see  her,  but  sister  would  not  at  all  consent 
till  I  had  taken  a  good  rest.  But  seeing  that  it 
pleased  me,  she  talked  much  about  Susie;  her 
sweet  disposition  and  noble  nature.  I  learned 
from  her  that  Capt.  Webb  had  been  at  home 
several  times  during  the  last  year,  and  had  fre- 
quently attended  Susie  to  church,  and  that  he 
was  with  her  only  last  Sabbath.  I  am  ashamed 
to  confess  what  uneasiness  this  news  gave  me. 

This  led  to  a  train  of  gloomy  reflections.  It  had 
been  reported  that  my  mental  faculties  were  per- 
manently out  of  order.  Why  should  Susie  linger 
over  the  memory  of  such  a  wreck?  Besides,  we 
had  never  been  engaged.  How  did  I  know  that 
she  really  cared  for  me  ?  I  had  gone  through  the 
war  without  any  special  distinction.  Dick  Webb 
was  captain.     John  Henderson  was  major.     They 

(285) 


286  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

had  won  distinction  by  deeds  of  valor;  my  dis- 
tinction had  been  won  in  the  realms  of  diseased 
imagination.  Those  fancied  honors  have  gone 
like  the  dreams  of  the  South  Sea  bubble,  and  I 
am  poor,  maimed,  and  only  a  "  high  private  in  the 
rear  ranks."  Why  should  I  expect  Susie  to  be 
mine?  What  have  I  with  which  to  take  care  of 
her?  With  these  gloomy  reflections,  I  fretted  my- 
self to  sleep. 

Next  morning  Sister  Mary  led  me  into  a  room, 
threw  open  the  trunks,  and  showed  me  how  she 
had  preserved  my  best  clothes.  This  was  a  most 
timely  discovery.  "Now,"  she  said,  with  a 
good  laugh,  "you  can  fix  up  and  go  to  see  Susie. 
She  will  be  looking  for  you,  and  you  will  be  sure 
of  a  hearty  welcome."  Her  cheerfulness  was 
catching,  as  was  also  her  hopefulness. 

With  a  renewed  confidence^  I  prepared  to  go 
over  to  Mr.  Brantlett's.  My  dress  would  have 
satisfied  a  Chesterfield.  Will  had  the  horse  and 
buggy  for  me  at  the  gate.  As  I  rode  over  the  short 
distance  amid  the  old  familiar  scenes  that  brio-ht 
spring  morning,  I  felt  the  joy  of  a  sweet  peace 
warming  in  the  rays  of  the  mighty  hope  which  was 
rising  like  a  bright  sun  above  the  horizon  of  my 
life. 

Our  meeting  that  morning  will  ever  remain  a 
bright,  sweet  center;  a  metropolis  of  joy  in  the  do- 
main of  memory.  Susie  looked  more  mature,  hav- 
ing now  reached  the  full-blown  flower  of  woman- 
hood.    It  was  plain  to  be   seen  that  anxiety  had 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.         287 

left  a  chastened  and  refining  touch  on  every  fea- 
ture. Four  eventful  years  had  brought  out  the 
decided  marks  of  character,  and  every  trace  bore 
the  stamp  of  nature's  true  nobility.  She  was 
never  before  altogether  so  lovely. 

If  a  single  misgiving  remained  in  my  mind,  it 
was  dispelled  by  her  old  time  reception,  a  greet- 
ing full  of  heart  and  soul.  Her  joy  at  my  safe  re- 
turn, both  to  home  and  reason,  could  no  more  be 
hid  than  a  rose  can  hide  its  beauty.  When  I  had 
made  a  full  confession,  and  the  sweet  vows  had 
been  exchanged,  she  looked  perfectly  radiant. 
To  possess  such  love  is  one  of  the  sweetest  joys 
of  earthly  experience;  a  joy  which  comes  as  a 
glorious  sun  on  the  landscape  of  life,  and  warms 
into  beautiful  flowers,  and  ripens  into  luxurious 
fruitage  all  the  nobler  capabilities  of  our  being. 

Here  was  the  consummation  of  a  thousand  hopes 
which  had  gladdened  life  from  childhood  until 
now;  of  hopes  which  had  brought  gleams  of  joy 
into  long,  laborious  marches,  through  rain  and 
mud,  sleet  and  cold;  of  hopes  which  had  made 
luminous  the  dismal  camp  fires  of  winter,  or  blunted 
the  keen  edge  of  battle  during  the  campaigns  of 
summer.  In  the  grandly  luminous  satisfaction  of 
such  experience,  all  labor,  pains,  aches,  and  dis- 
appointments, all  the  fictitious  joys  of  success 
among  the  highbred  people  of  Comos  were  glad- 
ly buried  in  the  grave  of  oblivion,  without  a  single 
regret.  The  past  can  only  be  good,  since  it  has 
led  to  this  consummated  joy. 


288  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

It  needed  not  the  herald  of  spoken  language  to 
tell  Will  and  sister  of  my  success.  Every  motion 
of  my  being  proclaimed  it  in  every  moment  of  time. 
The  fruition  of  our  life  hope,  the  coming  to  us  of 
long -coveted  responsibilities,  act  as  a  powerful 
spring  to  project  far  into  plain  relief  the  purposes 
and  energies  of  manhood.  I  now  felt  it  was  time 
to  plan  and  work  for  Susie's  welfare.  Will  was 
my  best  counselor. 

"We  must  make  the  best  of  our  circumstances," 
he  said.  "  The  land  is  still  here,  and  the  negroes 
are  here  also.  White  and  black  must  make  a  liv- 
ing together.  Go  over  to  the  old  homestead,  Sam, 
and  see  what  is  there.  Make  such  contract  with 
the  negroes  as  you  think  is  right.  The  only  thing 
is  to  make  the  best  crop  we  can,  and  as  late  as  it 
is  we  may  do  very  well."  He  showed  what  ar- 
rangement he  had  made  with  the  hands  on  his 
place,  and  told  me  how  they  had  gone  to  work 
with  glad  hilarity. 

Thanking  my  practical  brother-in-law  for  his 
advice,  I  went  at  once.  No  time  was  to  be  lost. 
I  felt  the  inspiration  of  purpose,  and  went  as  one 
having  something  to  do,  and  a  will  to  do  it.  Jack, 
the  faithful  driver,  the  trusted  servant  of  my  father, 
was  the  first  to  see  me  when  I  was  yet  a  great  way 
off.  I  can  never  forget  the  unfeigned  joy  ex- 
pressed in  his  honest  black  face,  as  he  rushed  up 
to  me  saying:  "  God  bless  you,  young  massa.  I's 
glad  to  see  you."  I  grasped  his  hand  with  a  fer- 
vor no  less  real. 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  289 

He  had  come  so  rapidly  as  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  other  servants,  and  here  they  came! 
Old  Mike,  limping  and  gray-headed;  George,  the 
carriage  driver,  growing  old  gracefully;  John,  the 
preacher,  and  Joe,  the  exhorter,  now  looking  old 
and  gray;  Ike,  in  the  prime  of  life,  no  longer  awk- 
ward, with  his  wife  and  a  troop  of  children;  Dick 
and  Jake,  the  boys  I  used  to  hunt  with,  now  stal- 
wart men.  Then  far  in  the  rear,  limping,  hob- 
bling, toddHng,  "making  haste  slowly,"  came 
mammy.  She  was  still  fat  and  plump,  but  old  and 
clumsy.  Her  will  was  fast,  but  her  locomotion 
was  difficult.  She  reminded  one  of  a  barrel  try- 
ing to  work  its  way  on  end,  when  it  might  have 
fallen  down  and  rolled  much  easier. 

I  pushed  through  the  crowd  and  we  soon  met. 
"My  chile,  my  chile."  This  was  about  all  she 
said,  but  her  tears  were  more  eloquent  than  words. 
My  heart  bounded  with  a  saddened  joy  as  I 
grasped  the  old  black  hand  which  had  led  my  in- 
fant feet  in  the  paths  of  safety.  That  hand  had 
ever  been  gentle  and  helpful  to  me.  What  a  rush 
of  memories,  sweet  and  sad,  came  to  me  at  this 
hour!  Mammy  was  my  earliest  confidante,  my 
trusted  friend  in  every  stage  of  early  life.  That 
young  life  stood  out  before  me  with  special  vivid- 
ness just  now. 

By  this  time  nearly  all  the  old  familiar  faces 
were  looking  on,  each  desiring  and  each  receiving 
special  recognition.  With  this  eager,  trustful  com- 
pany around  me,  I  felt  that  the  Old  Guard  was 
19 


290  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

there,  and  that  the  problem  of  a  living  was  already 
solved.  Not  seeing  Uncle  Sam,  the  patriarch,  I 
inquired  where  he  was.  This  brought  tears  to 
many  eyes.  "  Done  follered  ole  massa  an'  ole 
missus,"  was  the  reply. 

Under  the  spreading  branches  of  an  old  famihar 
oak  in  the  lawn,  I  reminded  them  that  the  situa- 
tion was  as  new  to  me  as  it  was  to  them,  and  told 
them  what  arrangement  Will  Benson  had  made 
with  the  hands  on  his  place.  I  ran  over  some  ar- 
ticles of  agreement,  and  asked  if  they  were  entire- 
ly satisfactory.  There  was  an  impulsive  expres- 
sion of  approval.  I  knew  that  almost  any  contract 
could  be  made  with  them,  they  v^ere  so  trustful; 
but  I  resolved  from  the  first  to  treat  them  fairly, 
"to  deal  justly,  and  love  mercy." 

I  told  them  nothing  more  than  the  truth  when  I 
said  it  was  a  great  joy  for  me  to  return  and  find 
them  all  free.  I  promised  them  that  if  they  would 
be  as  faithful  as  freemen,  as  they  had  been  in  the 
past,  I  would  always  be  their  friend,  and  they 
would  find  me  faithful  to  meet  every  obligation. 
Jack,  acting  as  spokesman  for  the  rest,  said  that 
he  thought  they  would  be  worthy  of  trust.  The 
years  that  have  passed  have  witnessed  the  fulfill- 
ment of  these  mutual  promises. 

Jack  was  at  once  by  common  consent  installed 
as  leader.  He  gave  orders  and  all  hands  went  to 
work  in  earnest.  I  immediately  took  Jack  into 
counsel  and  told  him  frankly  that  the  question  of 
rations  for  the  hands  was  embarrassing.     That  I 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  29I 

really  did  not  know  what  could  be  done.  The 
old  man  smiled  as  he  said :  "  Come  dis  way,  young 
massa."  I  seemed  to  have  made  the  very  speech 
that  pleased  him  most. 

He  led  the  way  down  toward  the  horse  lot,  where 
there  was  a  low  shelter  by  the  fence,  which  had 
been  used  to  house  sheep  in  bad  weather.  It  was 
now  piled  around  and  nearly  covered  with  rub- 
bish. Jack  pulled  away  some  of  the  covering  and 
exposed  the  ends  of  cotton  bales.  "  Ole  massa," 
he  said,  "had  dese  put  here,  and  tole  us  not  to 
tell  nobody  what  was  in  here." 

"  How  many  bales  are  in  there,  Jack?" 

"  Jes'  one  hund'ed,  massa." 

I  fairly  caught  my  breath,  but  only  to  take  a 
new  start  at  breathing.  Cotton  was  then  worth 
over  a  hundred  dollars  a  bale. 

Of  course  this  happy  find  belonged  as  much  to 
the  other  two  children  as  to  me.  It  was  timely  for 
us  all.  It  furnished  the  means  for  a  new  start, 
and  enabled  us  to  put  our  homes  in  good  repair. 
We  appreciated  it  all  the  more  because  it  was  one 
of  the  last  acts  of  a  thoughtful  father  for  his  chil- 
dren. 

With  feelings  of  sadness  I  now  opened  the  old 
home  so  long  closed.  It  had  been  the  home  of 
my  parents,  the  home  of  my  childhood.  Fondest 
recollections,  all  saddened  now  by  the  shadow  of 
death,  came  trooping  from  the  past.  So  real  and 
vivid  were  the  images  of  my  parents  on  my  mem- 
ory's tablet  that  I   seemed  almost  in  touch  with 


292  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

them  as  I  handled  the  familiar  things  they  so  con- 
stantly used. 

This  was  to  be  Susie's  home.  It  was  doubly 
dear  on  that  account.  Memories  sweetly  sad  and 
anticipations  fondly  bright  blended  now  as  incense 
rising  from  the  altar  of  domestic  affection.  What 
a  joy  to  me  that  I  now  had  the  means  of  putting 
the  dear  old  home  in  thorough  repair!  I  knew 
two  good  Confederate  soldiers  who  were  carpen- 
ters, and  who  had  come  out  of  the  war  with  noth- 
ing but  their  families  and  their  trades.  A  job  now 
would  be  most  opportune.  A  messenger  was  sent 
for  them,  and  they  were  employed  to  make  the 
improvements. 

Mammy  looked  ten  years  younger,  now  that  she 
was  installed  housekeeper.  Aunt  Daphne,  the  old 
cook,  had  gone  over  to  join  the  "silent  major- 
ity," but  a  younger  servant  had  filled  the  place, 
and  was  now  called  into  requisition.  With  my 
two  carpenter  friends  and  occasional  visitors  my 
bachelor  life  was  not  entirely  lonely.  We  can  en- 
dure almost  anything  if  we  think  it  is  to  be  of  short 
duration,  and  to  be  followed  by  something  better. 
Meanwhile,  the  farm  work  went  on  admirably. 
Cotton  and  corn  were  planted  and  fences  repaired 
afterward.  I  never  knew  work  pushed  with  more 
energy,  even  in  the  days  of  slavery.  The  hands 
now  worked  from  a  different  motive.  They  seemed 
to  be  cheerful  and  contented. 

I  sat  in  the  hall  one  of  those  beautiful  spring 
days,  enjoying  the  music  of  hammer  and  saw,  and 


A  TALE  OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  293 

listening  to  the  distant  song  of  the  cheerful  freed- 
man,  when  my  friend  and  comrade,  John  Hender- 
son, rode  up  to  the  gate.  He  dismounted  without 
ceremony,  and  was  hitching  his  horse,  before  I 
could  get  out  to  express  the  welcome  I  felt.  We 
had  not  met  for  nearly  two  years.  It  was  a  glad 
meeting,  where  heart  went  out  to  heart. 

"  I  came  by,"  he  said,  "  to  congratulate,  and  be 
congratulated." 

To  this  I  made  reply:  "  I  am  ready  to  receive 
any  amount  of  congratulation,  and  as  for  making 
return,  there  has  never  been  a  day  since  our  first 
acquaintance  that  I  have  not  felt  like  congratulat- 
ing you." 

"There  has  been  many  a  day,"  he  answered, 
"when  I  felt  like  I  deserved  commiseration,  but 
that  is  not  the  case  to-day." 

As  he  said  this,  the  bright,  exultant  soul  of  the 
young  man  fairly  glowed  in  his  eyes.  I  knew  my 
friend  had  met  with  some  good  fortune,  and  I  was 
anxious  to  hear  what  it  was.  The  carpenters  and 
their  noise  occupied  the  house,  so  we  turned  to  a 
seat  under  a  lovely  bower  in  the  corner  of  the 
yard.  He  had  a  brief  and  joyous  recital.  After 
a  prolonged  and  doubtful  struggle,  he  had  won  the 
approval  of  her  parents,  and  now  in  a  few  days 
he  was  to  lead  Miss  Minnie  Allen  to  the  altar.  I 
extended  to  him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and 
our  mutual  congratulations  were  prolonged  and 
hearty. 

He  related  how  his  love  for  Minnie  had  sprung 


294 


SAM    WILLIAMS: 


up  in  his  heart  away  back  in  the  early  days  at  the 
academy;  how  it  inspired  every  blow  he  gave 
Dolph  in  her  presence;  how  his  love  ripened  into 
resolutions  stronger  than  life  when  he  was  work- 
ing on  the  Major's  residence;  how,  during  all 
these  years,  his  heart  had  been  wrung  on  the  see- 
saw between  hope  and  despair;  how  keenly  he 
had  felt  the  yawning  social  gulf,  almost  inpassa- 
ble,  between  himself  and  the  object  of  his  adora- 
tion. 

During  all  these  years  Dolph  was  the  welcome 
visitor,  the  favored  one  whose  prerogative  it  was 
to  accompany  Miss  Minnie  out  to  all  social  gath- 
erings. 

"Still,"  said  John,  "I  hoped  on  against  all 
odds.  The  war  came,  and  I  felt  this  was  in  my 
favor.  It  would  postpone  the  crisis  and  give  me 
more  time.  Then,  as  a  soldier,  I  knew  that  in 
the  world's  estimation  I  was  nearer  on  an  equality 
with  Dolph  than  ever  before.  I  went  into  the  war 
to  make  a  record  which  would  help  me  to  win  the 
idol  of  my  heart  or  die  in  the  effort.  That  thought 
was  present  in  every  battle,  and  sustained  me  in 
every  hardship.  It  made  me  glad  when  Mr.  Lin- 
coln proclaimed  the  freedom  of  the  slaves.  I  then 
believed  that  the  war  would  end  with  the  freedom 
of  the  negroes.  Their  freedom  was  the  breaking 
down  of  the  main  barriers  in  the  way.  That  was 
the  leveling  of  the  fort  I  dreaded  most  to  charge. 
As  the  fight  went  on,  the  result  became  more  and 
more  apparent.     All  I  had  to  do  was  to  bide  my 


A  TALE   OF  THE  OLD   SOUTH.  295 

time,  and  make  the  effort  to  gain  the  parents'  con- 
sent, as  I  felt  sure  I  had  gained  the  daughter's 
love.  The  old  people  have  for  years  entertained 
the  idea  that  Dolph  v^^as  to  be  their  son-in-law,  and 
their  persistence  in  that  idea  had  made  Dolph  hard 
to  shake  off.  But  when  they  did  come  round,  it 
was  done  magnificently.  This  morning  the  Major 
took  my  hand  and  said  with  tears  in  his  eyes: 
'  My  son,  you  and  Minnie  are  all  we  have  now. 
We  cannot  think  of  giving  you  up.  There  is 
house  enough  here  for  us  all.  I  want  you  to  take 
charge  of  the  place  and  make  a  living  for  the  fam- 
ily.' I  tell  you,  Sam,  I  fought  the  war  through  on 
that  line,  and  I  gained  the  victory." 

I  remembered  the  contempt  which  Dolph  put  in 
the  word  "  carpenters  "  on  the  memorable  day  of 
our  visit  to  Maj.  Allen's,  while  John  was  working 
on  that  house.  So  I  said,  partly  in  reply  and  part- 
ly to  myself:  "  Then  the  house  you  built  as  a  car- 
penter, you  are  now  to  occupy  as  proprietor. 
Well,  you  deserve  congratulations."  And  again 
I  gave  him  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand. 

John  rose  to  start  as  one  who  had  discharged 
the  business  in  hand.  But  before  he  left,  as  if  to 
complete  the  matrimonial  news  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, he  told  me  that  Capt.  Webb  and  Miss  Juha 
Parker  were  soon  to  be  added  to  the  number  of 
happy  unions. 

"  Well,"  I  asked  in  a  jocular  way,  "  what  is  to 
become  of  Dolph?  It  will  not  do  for  him  to  be 
left  out." 


296  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

"  Dolph  is  all  right,"  he  answered.  "  He  had 
two  strings  to  his  bow.  It  is  always  good  in  such 
cases  to  get  one  of  them  broken.  Miss  Sallie  Con- 
way will  make  him  a  most  excellent  partner,  and 
we  shall  have  them  for  our  neighbors." 

One  busy  month  completed  the  days  of  my 
bachelor  life.  In  the  flowery  month  of  May  I 
led  my  own  sweet  Susie  to  the  altar,  and  then 
brought  her  to  the  dear  old  home  to  preside  over 
its  destinies. 

The  faithful  servants  had  earned  a  holiday,  even 
in  the  busiest  period  of  the  crop  season.  The  best 
feast  that  could  be  provided  was  given.  And  these 
old  friends  of  mine  had  a  grand  day  in  celebrating 
the  marriage  of  "  young  massa  an'  young  missus." 
This  is  the  way  the  older  negroes  put  it.  The 
younger  ones  toasted  "  de  young  boss  and  his 
putty  young  wife."  The  old  darkies  invariably 
said  "  massa;  "  the  younger  ones  constantly  used 
the  word  "boss."  Thus  the  old  consen^ative  and 
the  young  progressive  elements  were  even  then  at 
work.  They  have  both  performed  important  parts 
in  the  development  of  the  new  life  of  the  race,  and 
are  still  at  work. 

As  for  mammy  she  occupied  as  much  of  the 
premises  as  any  three  persons ;  sporting  a  snow- 
white  cloth  on  her  head,  she  was  the  busiest  and 
most  delighted  of  the  throng.  '*  Git  outen  my 
way,  niggers,  I's  takin'  keer  o'  my  chillern. 
Day's  boff  mine.  Didn'  I  nuss  em  boff  when 
dey  vvus  babies?"     And  the  little  urchins  scam- 


A  TALE   OF  THE   OLD   SOUTH.  297 

pered  away,  showing  their  good  nature  and  white 
teeth  at  the  same  time. 

Thus  the  new  life  on  the  old  plantation  began : 
a  life  of  love  and  sweet  contentment  to  "  de  young 
boss  an'  his  putty  young  wife;  "  a  life  of  freedom 
and  compensated  labor  to  those  who  were  no  lon- 
ger slaves. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Conclusion. 

THE  interest  in  human  lives  by  no  means  ter- 
minates with  marriage.  Many  writers  trace 
their  principal  characters  through  all  the  mazes  of 
a  lover's  experience;  through  the  agonies  which 
lie  along  the  borders  of  despair;  then  along  the 
half  painful  gleamings  of  a  trembling  expectancy; 
then  into  the  glowing  rapture  of  a  rising  hope ; 
thence  into  the  sorrows  and  heart-burnings  of  a 
misunderstanding;  and  at  last  bring  them  out  into 
the  clear  light  just  in  sight  of  the  altar,  leaving  the 
imagination  to  catch  the  idea  that  the  chief  end  of 
existence  is  to  be  consummated  by  the  ceremony 
of  the  priest.  Such  literature  may,  in  part  at  least, 
be  responsible  for  much  of  the  silly  talk  among 
young  people  which  conveys  the  impression  that 
their  only  aim  in  living  is  to  get  married. 

Only  the  thoughtless  and  ignoble  seek  marriage 
as  a  finality  in  life.  By  the  thoughtful  and  loyal 
mind  it  is  regarded  as  a  means  to  a  nobler  existence 
and  a  wider  usefulness.  The  marriage  of  noble, 
congenial  natures  is  a  union  of  strength  for  the 
real  purposes  and  services  of  life.  Both  natures 
are  made  stronger  by  the  compact.  They  com- 
plement and  brace  each  other.  "  In  union  there  is 
strength,"  especially  so  in  this  kind  of  union: 
(298) 


A    TALE    OF    THE    OLD    SOUTH.  299 

strength  of  integrity,  strength  of  purity.  It  is  as 
if  two  streams  should  come  together,  each  holding 
chemical  elements  to  neutralize  and  precipitate  the 
impurities  of  the  other.  Thence  the  united  stream 
flows  on  clear  as  crystal  and  sparkling  as  the  very 
"  waters  of  life." 

Marriage  is  an  epoch,  a  crisis.  Life  then  takes 
a  nobler  trend  and  projects  its  aims  on  a  higher 
scale,  or  ignobly  shrinks  from  the  high  responsi- 
bilities involved  and  becomes  complaining  drudg- 
ery. Life  is  thenceforward  rounded  into  beauty 
and  catches  the  inspiration  of  a  nobler  purpose, 
or  is  marred  into  failure  and  sinks  below  all  pur- 
pose. Marriage,  regarded  as  a  means  of  accom- 
plishing the  grandest  purposes  of  life,  becomes, 
when  properly  entered  into,  the  happy  consumma- 
tion by  which  we  reach  a  richer  experience  and  a 
wider  and  deeper  life,  moving  and  living  on  a 
higher  plain  of  existence. 

A  true  marriage  is  in  the  highest  degree  normal, 
and  therefore  brings  to  us,  as  nothing  else  can  do, 
a  settled  feeling,  a  sense  of  fixed  and  quiet  satis- 
faction. Single  life  is  too  much  like  the  wayward 
comet,  moving  in  an  orbit  eccentric  and  uncertain. 
When  two  such  comets  blend  in  perfect  union,  they 
become  a  planet,  moving  in  a  regular  orbit  and 
keeping  step  to  the  "music  of  the  spheres." 

Marriage  has  in  it  all  the  sweetness  of  divine 
appointment.  What  an  ecstacy  to  feel,  to  realize 
in  our  own  experience  that  our  strongest  earthly 
desires  and  heaven's  noble  plans  are  moving  in  the 


300  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

same  orbit !  To  many  noble  minds  this  is  a  sweet- 
ness which  far  excels  that  which  comes  from  the 
tenderness  of  love ;  it  is  a  joy  greater  than  the  joys 
of  loving  companionship.  The  mind,  which  has 
in  a  high  degree  the  attribute  of  faith,  and  feels 
the  thrill  of  the  divine  presence  and  realizes  God's 
tender  sanction  to  this  union,  feels  a  joy  the  unbe- 
lieving can  never  feel. 

The  man  or  woman  who  enters  into  matrimony 
on  the  low  level  of  sordid  motives  or  present  grati- 
fication, with  no  thought  of  high  and  holy  obliga- 
tions, not  only  misses  the  joys  of  sweet  connubial 
bliss,  but  sins  against  all  that  is  most  sacred;  and 
sins,  most  of  all,  against  the  deluded  party,  who, 
loving  and  trustful,  brings  loyalty  and  purity,  only 
to  be  met  and  complemented  with  infidelity  and  im- 
purity. What  a  sacrilege!  How  "unequally 
yoked  together ! ' '  Such  a  person  thus  coming 
into  this  sacred  union  is  as  profane  as  an  infidel 
high  priest  who  for  filthy  lucre  should  walk  with 
unhallowed  feet  in  the  holy  of  holies!  Such  a 
union  is  a  deception  of  the  worst  type,  a  fraud 
heartless  as  it  is  blasting,  a  degradation  beyond 
the  hope  of  restoration.  Such  a  marriage  is  a  sin 
against  high  heaven  and  the  most  sacred  interests 
of  societj\ 

Susie  and  I  have  the  very  great  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that  we  have  consummated  a  union  in 
which  none  but  the  purest  motives  have  entered. 
It  is  a  union  of  hearts  in  which  love  has  grown  and 
ripened.     This  love  has    grown  with  our  growth 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        3OI 

and  strengthened  with  our  strength.  From  infan- 
cy it  has  been  the  sweet  tie  of  an  unbroken  friend- 
ship. It  has  been  made  stronger  by  waiting;  has 
been  sanctified  by  suffering,  and  mellowed  by  sor- 
row. In  the  fullness  of  time  we  have  come  to- 
gether and  laid  the  foundation  of  a  new  home :  a 
home  that  is  to  be  our  own.  We  intend  it  shall  be 
a  real  home :  the  nursery  of  affection,  the  dwelling- 
place  of  the  heart,  the  dearest  spot  on  earth.  We 
are  not  concerned  as  to  the  pattern  of  the  house 
or  the  style  of  the  furniture.  In  these  tumultuous 
times  we  are  glad  to  have  any  house  and  any  fur- 
niture. But  we  are  concerned  as  to  the  principles 
which  shall  be  woven  into  the  texture  of  the  home, 
not  of  the  dwelling,  but  of  its  occupants;  the 
same  principles  which  should  be  vital  in  all  homes 
— principles  which  have  made  thousands  of  Amer- 
ican homes  the  dwelling  place  of  virtue,  of  intel- 
ligence, of  sweet  contentment,  and  of  happiness  as 
pure  as  belongs  to  earthly  life.  These,  then,  are 
the  principles  on  which  we  propose  to  construct 
our  home: 

I.  The  recognition  of  the  supreme  authority  and 
gracious  protection  of  an  all-wise  Providence.  We 
intend  to  cultivate  the  feeling  that  we  have  a  Father, 
infinitely  wise  and  purely  good ;  that  in  all  our  ef- 
forts to  do  right  we  shall  be  led  by  an  unseen 
hand  and  upheld  by  an  unseen  power;  that  in  our 
sorrows  and  afflictions  we  shall  have  a  gracious 
Comforter;  and  in  our  losses  and  failures,  if  we 
preserve  the  integrity  of  our  motives,  we  shall  have 


302  SAM    WILLIAMS: 

one  who  can  sympathize  with  our  weaknesses  and 
help  our  infirmities. 

A  recognition  of  the  divine  presence  in  the  af- 
fairs of  life  is  a  constant  inspiration  for  good.  It 
develops  unflinching  courage,  giving  strength  to 
convictions  and  fortitude  to  action.  It  makes  us 
feel  that  the  right  must  finally  prevail.  With  this 
belief  we  take  heart  and  stand  unmoved  amid  the 
wrecks  of  the  hopes  and  the  seeming  failures  in  the 
lives  of  good  people.  With  a  sublime  faith  "  that 
all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God,"  we  are  prepared  to  walk  in  our  sphere  and 
meet  the  responsibilities  of  life  with  brave  and 
trustful  hearts. 

2.  The  continued,  abiding  love  of  each  other. 
This  is  the  chord  of  harmony  in  every  home. 
Without  it  the  glitter  of  wealth  and  pride  of  posi- 
tion are  mere  travesties  on  the  sweets  of  domestic 
life.  No  splendid  building  on  spacious  grounds, 
nor  costly  living  with  courtly  display  can  compen- 
sate its  absence.  Without  it  marriage  is  a  failure. 
But  with  it  the  humblest  home  can  be  made  to  spar- 
kle with  the  gems  of  happiness,  and  become  the 
arena  of  grand  and  noble  lives. 

3.  The  love  of  country.  Every  home  in  the  land 
should  be  the  nursery  of  patriotism.  As  we  stand 
in  the  peculiar  attitude  of  conquered  subjects,  it 
will  require  some  effort  to  cultivate  this  noble  feel- 
ing. It  may  be  easy  enough  to  lay  down  the  rifle 
and  pick  up  the  Constitution,  but  it  is  by  no  means 
so  easy  to  exchange  at  once  the  destructive  spirit 


A  TALE  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH.        303 

of  the  one  for  the  preservative  feehng  of  the  other. 
Yet  the  love  of  home  involves  the  love  of  country. 
The  home  is  doubly  dear  to  us  because  it  is  located 
in  the  land  we  love. 

4.  Love  for  our  neighbors.  Much  of  the  hap- 
piness of  life  comes  from  congenial  and  loving 
companionship  with  our  neighbors.  This  feeling 
should  be  cultivated.  Every  neighbor  has  abetter 
side,  and  it  is  wise  to  live  on  that  side. 

Hoping  that  the  reader,  as  well  as  the  writer,  may 
have  "love  at  home,"  and  "  peace  on  earth,  good 
will  to  men,"  I  bid  him,  for  a  time  at  least,  an  af- 
fectionate adieu. 


The  End. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


Wilmer 
543 


